Scripture: Psalm 146; Matthew 10: 16-20; 11:28-30; 28:16-20; Acts 16:11-40
In McLaren’s book it is AD 51 and he again retells this story from Acts 16 in first person narrative to re-experience the occurrence from that account about the life of the Apostle Paul. It’s that great experience of Paul and Silas, arrested for doing a good deed (delivering a young girl from a demonic spirit that was earning her owners a fast buck), thrown into prison, and put in stocks in an inner cell. These two don’t grovel but instead sing praises to God at midnight when God shakes the jail with an earthquake that instantly unlatches all the prisoners’ chains and unlocks the doors to their cells. The jailer running to see what had happened, seeing the doors unlocked, imagines that all have escaped, takes out his sword to kill himself, but instead is stopped by Paul, who says they are all still there. The jailer falls to his knees before Paul and Silas then asking them for this life they have. He and his household are converted that night.
God is on the move liberating people and we are all his partners, McLaren says. How true. He writes it in this manner: “We are partners in an earthquake of liberation! As we move forward together in this partnership in mission for peace and freedom, injustice at every level of society will be confronted and people at every level of society will be set free” (p 190).
Share a story about a time you felt like one character in this story. Or, reflecting upon the fact that Paul and Silas were engaged in protest and civil disobedience in Philippi, under what circumstances would you risk arrest, imprisonment, or death (for the sake of the Gospel)?
The second question caused me to pause when I read it, for I think that I hesitate to share my faith for all kinds of reasons. I hesitate to perhaps take a stand again for all kinds of reasons. NONE of those reasons are about the rise of arrest, imprisonment or death. None. I don’t take my life into my hands EVER. This fact took me out the door today. It took me into a conversation with a neighbor I never would have entered had I not been challenged by this thought. It took me into conversation with a worker at Freddies while on her break, because I knew I was not risking ANYTHING by sharing my faith with her. It took me into praying for a couple homeless guys on the street. Again, to encourage, and without risk to my life. So much of life is risk-free, especially in regard to actual risk. So, I’m grateful for this question. Two people heard the gospel and another two experienced the demonstration of that gospel because of it.
Go and Tell!