Daily Liturgy and Scripture

If you think you’ve sat through a bad sermon, then take heart from this story of a young man who fell asleep, fell out a window, and was healed by that same preacher. This is (comically) proof of two things: first, even Paul had bad sermons. And two, keep proclaiming Jesus. Why else would Paul patch up the kid and keep preaching?

Our God is a God of order and of grace, not of chaos and power-seizing. The worshipers and tradesmen of Artemis do a pretty good job of drawing the difference between that false god and the true God. Not only were they leaping to violence, they also fizzled out when they actually needed to present the evidence that Paul and the other Christ-followers were in the wrong. Standing with Jesus, hopefully we will have a similar experience of allowing the Spirt and the truth to fight for us.

The thrashing of the Seven Sons of Sceva is kind of a comical moment, but it’s also a good reminder: while the name of Jesus is indeed spiritually powerful, it is part of something deeper. Disciples of Jesus bear his name, but it is not a trick to be handed around as needed. Remember also that the disciples themselves had trouble casting out a demon once and were unable, and Jesus told them that the method required prayer (Mark 9:29). Hopefully, the Sons of Sceva learned to follow the Saviour instead of just using his name for their own purposes.

The coming of the Holy Spirit was significant in more than the tongues of fire at Pentecost. As this new way of being followers of Jesus progressed, the Spirit also became the thing that defined new baptisms. This isn't some otherworldly experience, it is a this-world experience, as we work with the Father and the Son as well as the Spirit.

Paul experiences such problems among the Jewish leaders that he shifts his focus more fully to the Gentiles. This doesn't mean that he was abandoning the Jews, but it did mean that Paul probably wanted to spend his time talking about Jesus rather than fighting those who opposed him.

Paul finds himself among people in Greece who are very religious, but are missing the main point of religion: Jesus. Of course, in this context, some of them laugh him off; they think they already have all the answers. Some, however, do not. There are some who are open to the Spirit and can be moved by what Paul has to say, entering an opportunity created by the working of God. Hopefully, we will also be open to those workings around us.

Paul is accused of doing something of which was definitely guilty: saying that Jesus was king and that Caesar was not. Of course, that was used in a way that isn’t at all what it should mean for a Christian. It shouldn’t mean that we are pushing for the violent overthrow of our leaders, but it should mean that our allegiance is to a gentle and humble Savior whose example we follow. If Jesus is our example, we’ll start to care a little less about who holds the earthly power. There is no power greater than the Spirit among us, Jesus standing for us, and God the Father preserving us.

The way God builds the Kingdom created by Jesus is sometimes wild to behold. We think of preaching and proclaiming the word as the main tools, but how about jailbreaks? Rebuking fortune tellers? Even avoiding a town? God’s plan was right on time, and sometimes all we can do is hold on tight and follow as close as we can.

You never want to see your parents fight, but Paul and Barnabas remained focused on the mission of Christ even as they encountered irreconcilable differences. This actually helped grow the Kingdom of Christ: the all-star team broke up, but they both made new all stars. Mark wrote one of our gospels, and Timothy was the person two whom Paul wrote at least two letters.

As the Church continues growing, they are certainly taking a step away from the rule of the Law as the Jewish people had long been accustomed to doing. Of course, this was on purpose. Paul talks often about law vs. life in the Spirit. So if the rules that were sent around didn’t even equal the Ten Commandments, how did people learn how to be Christians? The answer to that is discipleship. Paul, Barnabas, Silas and Barsabbas were just a few of those who traveled in person not only to help plant new churches, but to stay long enough to get to know the people and help them learn better how to follow Jesus. This connected new believers directly to the people taught by Jesus, and the chain has remained unbroken ever since.