sent in mission like Jesus

Good afternoon friends,
Today in worship we talked about how our most important mission as Christians is how we live everyday in our work, with our friends and family, and in the other things we spend our time doing. Much of our ministry is in the world. Our passage for today is part of Jesus' great prayer to God the Father about the disciples. He prays about the tension that the disciples (and we) face: they are in the world, but connected to God beyond the world. Jesus sends the disciples into the world like the Father sent him. We are the sent people in mission to the world with prayer.
God bless,
Sam

John 17:15-23

¹⁵I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. ¹⁶They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.

¹⁷Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. ¹⁹And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.

²⁰”I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, ²¹that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²²The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, ²³I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Come and see

Good evening sisters and brothers,
It was a blessing to serve with our friends at People's Ministry in Christ today giving away clothes and food to folks in the neighborhood. While some from Laurelton were serving there others were serving at Cafe, where we had 49 guests for breakfast. At the same time members of our congregation are getting ready to go to New Jersey to help folks rebuild from Super Storm Sandy. God is at work through our congregation, and that's an exciting thing.

As we think and pray about the mission God gives us, we also turn to scripture. Our story today is about John the Baptist introducing two of his disciples to Jesus and then those folks invite others. The invitation isn't pushy, it's just welcoming people to "come and see." We can invite people to come and see what it means to follow Jesus too. We don't have to have the answers, just welcome people to the surprising journey of grace which is discipleship.

God bless,
Sam

John 1:35-50

³⁵The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, ³⁶and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”

³⁷The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. ³⁸When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” ³⁹He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. ⁴⁰One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. ⁴¹He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). ⁴²He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

⁴³The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” ⁴⁴Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. ⁴⁵Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” ⁴⁶Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

⁴⁷When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” ⁴⁸Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” ⁴⁹Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” ⁵⁰Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.”

sending out more messengers

Good afternoon sisters and brothers,
I'll do this again, but I want to mention that Sunday afternoon the fire department is going to have an open house. It's a great opportunity to stop by and take a tour or check out some fun things they'll have set up. Importantly for us, we need to keep their parking lot clear for them. If you can, please park across the street at the dentist's office. If that won't work, you can also park in the line of spaces against the church, but please don't park in the rest of the lot.

Our reading for today features Jesus sending out 72 disciples to spread the word. One thing that catches my attention here is that announcing the coming of the kingdom is good news or bad news depending on how we respond to it. How are we sharing the word now?

God bless,
Sam

Luke 10:1-16

After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. ²He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. ³Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. ⁴Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. ⁵Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ ⁶And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. ⁷Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house.

⁸Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; ⁹cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ ¹⁰But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ¹¹‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’ ¹²I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town. ¹³“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. ¹⁴But at the judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. ¹⁵And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades. ¹⁶“Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

blessed

Good afternoon sisters and brothers,
Sorry it's been a few days away from the daily readings. Today's reading is familiar to many of us. We call these the beatitudes, which means "blesseds." This is also the beginning of Jesus' most familiar chunk of teaching, the sermon on the mount. Notice how in God's economy the world is turned upside down. The other thing I'd like to point out in this passage is the calling to be light for the world. Our most important work isn't in the church; it's in the world. Our job is to make our faith matter for others, to build God's kingdom here on earth.

God bless,
Sam

Matthew 5:1-16

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. ²Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

³“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ⁴“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ⁵“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. ⁶“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. ⁷“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. ⁸“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. ⁹“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

¹⁰“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹²Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

¹³“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. ¹⁴“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. ¹⁵No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Onward to Rome

Hi friends,
Once spring arrived Paul and the gang got back on their way to Rome. What's interesting here is that when Paul arrived in Rome one of his first moves is to reach out to the Jewish community there. It's helpful for us to see this in terms of watching the early relationship between the Jewish and Christian community and the challenges now. Even after the conflict he's faced with the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem, Paul's instinct is peacemaking.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 28:11-22

11 Three months later we set sail on a ship that had wintered at the island, an Alexandrian ship with the Twin Brothers as its figurehead. ¹²We put in at Syracuse and stayed there for three days; ¹³then we weighed anchor and came to Rhegium. After one day there a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli. ¹⁴There we found believers and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome. ¹⁵The believers from there, when they heard of us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage. 16 When we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him. 

17 Three days later he called together the local leaders of the Jews. When they had assembled, he said to them, ‘Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, yet I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. ¹⁸When they had examined me, the Romans wanted to release me, because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case. ¹⁹But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to the emperor—even though I had no charge to bring against my nation. ²⁰For this reason therefore I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is for the sake of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.’ ²¹They replied, ‘We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken anything evil about you. ²²But we would like to hear from you what you think, for with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against.’

The Maltese Viper

Good evening friends,
Yesterday we read how the shipwrecked crew and passengers got safely to land. Here we see that even on an island after a shipwreck, Paul is still doing ministry. In every situation we can be ministers of God's love.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 28:1-10

After we had reached safety, we then learned that the island was called Malta. ²The natives showed us unusual kindness. Since it had begun to rain and was cold, they kindled a fire and welcomed all of us round it. ³Paul had gathered a bundle of brushwood and was putting it on the fire, when a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. ⁴When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, ‘This man must be a murderer; though he has escaped from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.’ ⁵He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. ⁶They were expecting him to swell up or drop dead, but after they had waited a long time and saw that nothing unusual had happened to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.

7 Now in the neighbourhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us hospitably for three days. ⁸It so happened that the father of Publius lay sick in bed with fever and dysentery. Paul visited him and cured him by praying and putting his hands on him. ⁹After this happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured. ¹⁰They bestowed many honours on us, and when we were about to sail, they put on board all the provisions we needed.

Adventures at sea, part 3

Good evening friends,
We just wrapped up our conference here after an inspiring worship service. It's been a real blessing to be in Florida for this conference, so thank you for the opportunity. Our reading this evening finishes this episode in Paul's adventure. The ship is in danger, but Paul has started to comfort the crew and passengers. So we'll see how they get out of this situation.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 27:33-38

33 Just before daybreak, Paul urged all of them to take some food, saying, ‘Today is the fourteenth day that you have been in suspense and remaining without food, having eaten nothing. ³⁴Therefore I urge you to take some food, for it will help you survive; for none of you will lose a hair from your heads.’ ³⁵After he had said this, he took bread; and giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it and began to eat. ³⁶Then all of them were encouraged and took food for themselves. ³⁷(We were in all two hundred and seventy-six persons in the ship.) ³⁸After they had satisfied their hunger, they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea.

39 In the morning they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned to run the ship ashore, if they could. ⁴⁰So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea. At the same time they loosened the ropes that tied the steering-oars; then hoisting the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach. ⁴¹But striking a reef, they ran the ship aground; the bow stuck and remained immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the force of the waves. ⁴²The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, so that none might swim away and escape; ⁴³but the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, ⁴⁴and the rest to follow, some on planks and others on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land.

Adventures at sea, part 2

Good evening sisters and brothers,
Having prophesied disaster and been ignored, Paul is unable to refrain from saying, "I told you so." Even through this failing, he is able to offer some comfort to his fellow travelers. It's also interesting that his vision is so specific, and that, having seen Paul be right about the big picture, the commander is now convinced by Paul's ability and follows his advice. May we keep up our courage when the going gets rough too.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 27:21-32

21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul then stood up among them and said, ‘Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and thereby avoided this damage and loss. ²²I urge you now to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. ²³For last night there stood by me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, ²⁴and he said, “Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before the emperor; and indeed, God has granted safety to all those who are sailing with you.” ²⁵So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. ²⁶But we will have to run aground on some island.’

27 When the fourteenth night had come, as we were drifting across the sea of Adria, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. ²⁸So they took soundings and found twenty fathoms; a little farther on they took soundings again and found fifteen fathoms. ²⁹Fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. ³⁰But when the sailors tried to escape from the ship and had lowered the boat into the sea, on the pretext of putting out anchors from the bow, ³¹Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, ‘Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.’ ³²Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat and set it adrift.

Adventures at sea, part 1

Good evening friends,
In yesterday's reading Paul advised the centurion and captain to stay where they were, even though it wasn't a good harbor to spend the winter in. Not surprisingly, they listened to the pilot and the owner of the ship instead of to Paul. We'll see what happens next in an exciting nautical adventure in two parts.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 27:13-20

13 When a moderate south wind began to blow, they thought they could achieve their purpose; so they weighed anchor and began to sail past Crete, close to the shore. ¹⁴But soon a violent wind, called the northeaster, rushed down from Crete. ¹⁵Since the ship was caught and could not be turned with its head to the wind, we gave way to it and were driven. ¹⁶By running under the lee of a small island called Cauda we were scarcely able to get the ship’s boat under control.

^{17After hoisting it up they took measures to undergird the ship; then, fearing that they would run on the Syrtis, they lowered the sea-anchor and so were driven. 18We were being pounded by the storm so violently that on the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard, 19and on the third day with their own hands they threw the ship’s tackle overboard. 20When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.}

Sailing off into the sunrise

Good afternoon friends,
I arrived safely in Florida last night and got to the hotel about 1 this morning. Today has mostly been spent planning the workshops we're going to offer and shortly we'll be praying together for the conference. I'm excited to meet new folks and connect with people I know as we seek new ways to share the story of God's love for us.

In our story, Paul has been examined by the Romans. They've found nothing wrong with him, but Paul still chooses to be judged by Rome rather than the Jewish leaders. So they put him on a ship for Rome. Of course, it's not as simple as just one ship. Paul warns that the journey will be dangerous, but off they go. Sometimes we have to go unsettling places to share our faith too.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 27:1-12

When it was decided that we were to sail for Italy, they transferred Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort, named Julius. ²Embarking on a ship of Adramyttium that was about to set sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. ³The next day we put in at Sidon; and Julius treated Paul kindly, and allowed him to go to his friends to be cared for. ⁴Putting out to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. ⁵After we had sailed across the sea that is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. ⁶There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship bound for Italy and put us on board. ⁷We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind was against us, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. ⁸Sailing past it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea. 

9 Since much time had been lost and sailing was now dangerous, because even the Fast had already gone by, Paul advised them, ¹⁰saying, ‘Sirs, I can see that the voyage will be with danger and much heavy loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.’ ¹¹But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. ¹²Since the harbour was not suitable for spending the winter, the majority was in favour of putting to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, where they could spend the winter. It was a harbour of Crete, facing south-west and north-west.

not impressed

Good afternoon sisters and brothers,
Today's reading gives us Festus's reaction to Paul's message of salvation. We see that he is not impressed, but Paul isn't troubled by that. We each have a role to play in proclaiming the gospel.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 26:24-32

24 While he was making this defence, Festus exclaimed, ‘You are out of your mind, Paul! Too much learning is driving you insane!’ ²⁵But Paul said, ‘I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking the sober truth. ²⁶Indeed the king knows about these things, and to him I speak freely; for I am certain that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this was not done in a corner. ²⁷King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.’ ²⁸Agrippa said to Paul, ‘Are you so quickly persuading me to become a Christian?’ ²⁹Paul replied, ‘Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that not only you but also all who are listening to me today might become such as I am—except for these chains.’

30 Then the king got up, and with him the governor and Bernice and those who had been seated with them; ³¹and as they were leaving, they said to one another, ‘This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.’ ³²Agrippa said to Festus, ‘This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to the emperor.’

on trial again

Good afternoon friends,
Today we think about our Jewish neighbors observing Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. As you spend time in prayer today, pray for a spiritually useful time for them. Our reading today gives us Paul's defense in front of Agrippa and Festus. He tells his story to show how God's calling changed his life. Reading Paul invites us to consider our story. How has God's calling shaped your life? How would you like it to in the future?

God bless,
Sam

Acts 26:9-23

9 ‘Indeed, I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth. ¹⁰And that is what I did in Jerusalem; with authority received from the chief priests, I not only locked up many of the saints in prison, but I also cast my vote against them when they were being condemned to death. ¹¹By punishing them often in all the synagogues I tried to force them to blaspheme; and since I was so furiously enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.

12 ‘With this in mind, I was travelling to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, ¹³when at midday along the road, your Excellency, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions. ¹⁴When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It hurts you to kick against the goads.” ¹⁵I asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The Lord answered, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. ¹⁶But get up and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and testify to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you. ¹⁷I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you ¹⁸to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”

19 ‘After that, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, ²⁰but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout the countryside of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and do deeds consistent with repentance. ²¹For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. ²²To this day I have had help from God, and so I stand here, testifying to both small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would take place: ²³that the Messiah must suffer, and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.’

moving up the line

Good morning brothers and sisters,
We've read about Paul's appeal to the Roman Emperor. Today we see the beginnings of how that's going to happen. Felix here is a classic official. He knows he needs to send Paul to the emperor, but he doesn't know what to say to his superiors about why he's sending him. That's not surprising, since over and over again Roman officials have agreed that Paul isn't breaking any Roman rules. They don't care, so it's hard for Felix to explain why he's sending Paul on for trial. So they examine Paul again, this time along side the Jewish king Agrippa and his sister Bernice. On the other hand, we'll see that Paul has something to say too, so he doesn't mind having another opportunity to speak.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 25:23-27, 26:1-8

²³So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then Festus gave the order and Paul was brought in. ²⁴And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all here present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish community petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.

²⁵But I found that he had done nothing deserving death; and when he appealed to his Imperial Majesty, I decided to send him. ²⁶But I have nothing definite to write to our sovereign about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write— ²⁷for it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner without indicating the charges against him.”

Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You have permission to speak for yourself.’ Then Paul stretched out his hand and began to defend himself: 2 ‘I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to make my defence today against all the accusations of the Jews, ³because you are especially familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews; therefore I beg of you to listen to me patiently.

4 ‘All the Jews know my way of life from my youth, a life spent from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem. ⁵They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I have belonged to the strictest sect of our religion and lived as a Pharisee. ⁶And now I stand here on trial on account of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors, ⁷a promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship day and night. It is for this hope, your Excellency, that I am accused by Jews! ⁸Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?

A king and a governor

Good afternoon brothers and sisters,
Today we remember the men and women who lost their lives 12 years ago. I bet we all remember where we were when we heard the news of the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. It was truly a painful moment and we still grieve the lives lost. I pray that out of that suffering can grow new compassion for others.

Our reading today brings us Governor Festus talking with King Agrippa. Agrippa was the last king in Herod's dynasty. He ruled with Roman approval, but was Jewish. Like Paul, he bridges two worlds, Jewish and Roman, so he is very interested in what Paul has to say. We'll see how he and Paul get along tomorrow.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 25:13-22

13 After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to welcome Festus. ¹⁴Since they were staying there for several days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, ‘There is a man here who was left in prison by Felix. ¹⁵When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me about him and asked for a sentence against him. ¹⁶I told them that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over anyone before the accused had met the accusers face to face and had been given an opportunity to make a defence against the charge. ¹⁷So when they met here, I lost no time, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought.

¹⁸When the accusers stood up, they did not charge him with any of the crimes that I was expecting. ¹⁹Instead they had certain points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. ²⁰Since I was at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wished to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges. ²¹But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of his Imperial Majesty, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to the emperor.’ ²²Agrippa said to Festus, ‘I would like to hear the man myself.’ ‘Tomorrow’, he said, ‘you will hear him.’

a new trial

Good evening friends,
In today's reading Paul is tried before the Roman Governor, Festus. Paul defends himself briefly, and, knowing he won't get a fair trial from the Jewish leaders, he appeals to the Emperor. Until now he has been between the Jewish and Roman worlds, and in some ways he still is, but now his fate is mostly in Roman hands. As we'll see; God isn't finished with Paul yet.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 25:6-12

6 After he had stayed among them for not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea; the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought.

⁷When he arrived, the Jews who had gone down from Jerusalem surrounded him, bringing many serious charges against him, which they could not prove. ⁸Paul said in his defence, ‘I have in no way committed an offence against the law of the Jews, or against the temple, or against the emperor.’

⁹But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favour, asked Paul, ‘Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and be tried there before me on these charges?’ ¹⁰Paul said, ‘I am appealing to the emperor’s tribunal; this is where I should be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you very well know. ¹¹Now if I am in the wrong and have committed something for which I deserve to die, I am not trying to escape death; but if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can turn me over to them. I appeal to the emperor.’ ¹²Then Festus, after he had conferred with his council, replied, ‘You have appealed to the emperor; to the emperor you will go.’

transition

Good afternoon sisters and brothers,
Our reading today brings us a new governor in Caesarea, so Paul will have a different person to work with.

Blessings,
Sam

 Acts 24:22-25:5

22 But Felix, who was rather well informed about the Way, adjourned the hearing with the comment, ‘When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.’ ²³Then he ordered the centurion to keep him in custody, but to let him have some liberty and not to prevent any of his friends from taking care of his needs.

24 Some days later when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him speak concerning faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵And as he discussed justice, self-control, and the coming judgement, Felix became frightened and said, ‘Go away for the present; when I have an opportunity, I will send for you.’ ²⁶At the same time he hoped that money would be given to him by Paul, and for that reason he used to send for him very often and converse with him.

27 After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and since he wanted to grant the Jews a favour, Felix left Paul in prison. Three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem ²where the chief priests and the leaders of the Jews gave him a report against Paul. They appealed to him ³and requested, as a favour to them against Paul, to have him transferred to Jerusalem. They were, in fact, planning an ambush to kill him along the way. ⁴Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and that he himself intended to go there shortly. ⁵‘So’, he said, ‘let those of you who have the authority come down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them accuse him.’

defending his life

Good morning sisters and brothers,
In today's reading we see Paul making his case to the Roman Governor Felix. The heart of his argument is that the Christians faith he shares is actually a continuation of the Judaism he has always believed. He also argues that he has lived his faith in a way that respects others. Not a bad guideline for us either.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 24:10-21

10 When the governor motioned to him to speak, Paul replied:

‘I cheerfully make my defence, knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation. ¹¹As you can find out, it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem. ¹²They did not find me disputing with anyone in the temple or stirring up a crowd either in the synagogues or throughout the city. ¹³Neither can they prove to you the charge that they now bring against me.

¹⁴But this I admit to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our ancestors, believing everything laid down according to the law or written in the prophets. ¹⁵I have a hope in God—a hope that they themselves also accept—that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. ¹⁶Therefore I do my best always to have a clear conscience towards God and all people.

¹⁷Now after some years I came to bring alms to my nation and to offer sacrifices. ¹⁸While I was doing this, they found me in the temple, completing the rite of purification, without any crowd or disturbance. ¹⁹But there were some Jews from Asia—they ought to be here before you to make an accusation, if they have anything against me. ²⁰Or let these men here tell what crime they had found when I stood before the council, ²¹unless it was this one sentence that I called out while standing before them, “It is about the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.” ’

back in court

Good morning friends,
With Paul in custody, the Jewish leaders come to make their accusation against him in front of the Roman Governor. It's interesting to see how they make their case.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 24:1-9

Five days later the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and an attorney, a certain Tertullus, and they reported their case against Paul to the governor. ²When Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying:

‘Your Excellency, because of you we have long enjoyed peace, and reforms have been made for this people because of your foresight. ³We welcome this in every way and everywhere with utmost gratitude. ⁴But, to detain you no further, I beg you to hear us briefly with your customary graciousness. ⁵We have, in fact, found this man a pestilent fellow, an agitator among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. ⁶He even tried to profane the temple, and so we seized him. ⁸By examining him yourself you will be able to learn from him concerning everything of which we accuse him.’ 9 The Jews also joined in the charge by asserting that all this was true.

on the road again

Good morning friends,
Yesterday we read about how some of the Jewish leaders plotted to kill Paul, but the plot was overheard by Paul's nephew. He told the Tribune what was happening and our story continues from there today. Paul is sent under heavy guard to Caesarea, which was the seat of Roman authority for the region. He went with a letter from the Tribune to the Roman Governor explaining the situation. We often think of the Roman Empire as persecutors of the church, and certainly that was the case later. At this point, we'll see that the Empire was also an important source of protection for Paul and others, and Paul will use that protection to continue his mission of preaching the gospel. May we also always use the power and opportunities we have to live and share our faith.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 23:23-35

23 Then he summoned two of the centurions and said, ‘Get ready to leave by nine o’clock tonight for Caesarea with two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen. ²⁴Also provide mounts for Paul to ride, and take him safely to Felix the governor.’ ²⁵He wrote a letter to this effect:

26 ‘Claudius Lysias to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings. ²⁷This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, but when I had learned that he was a Roman citizen, I came with the guard and rescued him. ²⁸Since I wanted to know the charge for which they accused him, I had him brought to their council. ²⁹I found that he was accused concerning questions of their law, but was charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. ³⁰When I was informed that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him.’

31 So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him during the night to Antipatris. ³²The next day they let the horsemen go on with him, while they returned to the barracks. ³³When they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him. ³⁴On reading the letter, he asked what province he belonged to, and when he learned that he was from Cilicia, ³⁵he said, ‘I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.’ Then he ordered that he be kept under guard in Herod’s headquarters.

strategic martyrdom

Hi friends,

Yesterday we read about Paul's initial hearing in Jerusalem. We left him in protective custody under the Roman Tribune Lysias. Today we find out about a conspiracy to kill Paul. Paul was a flawed human being like all of us, but he was also a great example in a lot of ways. Throughout this section of Acts I think it's really interesting how Paul is willing to die for his faith, but that he doesn't want to throw his life away foolishly. His various tactics are worth watching.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 23:12-22

12 In the morning the Jews joined in a conspiracy and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. ¹³There were more than forty who joined in this conspiracy. ¹⁴They went to the chief priests and elders and said, ‘We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food until we have killed Paul. ¹⁵Now then, you and the council must notify the tribune to bring him down to you, on the pretext that you want to make a more thorough examination of his case. And we are ready to do away with him before he arrives.’

16 Now the son of Paul’s sister heard about the ambush; so he went and gained entrance to the barracks and told Paul. ¹⁷Paul called one of the centurions and said, ‘Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to report to him.’ ¹⁸So he took him, brought him to the tribune, and said, ‘The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you; he has something to tell you.’ ¹⁹The tribune took him by the hand, drew him aside privately, and asked, ‘What is it that you have to report to me?’

²⁰He answered, ‘The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire more thoroughly into his case. ²¹But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him. They have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink until they kill him. They are ready now and are waiting for your consent.’ ²²So the tribune dismissed the young man, ordering him, ‘Tell no one that you have informed me of this.’

further down the path

Good morning friends,
Today we see Paul speaking again to the Jewish leaders. It's interesting to see how he continues to see that he has a responsibility to honor the leadership in that community, despite sometimes having to go against them. We also see Paul being quite astute here. He sees that the leadership is divided because some are Pharisees and some Sadduccees. He exploits this division by talking about how his Christian faith comes from his background as a Pharisee. That leads some Pharisees to support Paul. The final thing that captures my attention in this passage is God's vision for Paul that he is doing the right thing and will also be God's witness in Rome. Wherever we go, may we be faithful witnesses today.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 22:30-23:11

³⁰Since he wanted to find out what Paul was being accused of by the Jews, the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and the entire council to meet. He brought Paul down and had him stand before them. While Paul was looking intently at the council he said, ‘Brothers, up to this day I have lived my life with a clear conscience before God.’ ²Then the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near him to strike him on the mouth. ³At this Paul said to him, ‘God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting there to judge me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law you order me to be struck?’ ⁴Those standing nearby said, ‘Do you dare to insult God’s high priest?’ ⁵And Paul said, ‘I did not realize, brothers, that he was high priest; for it is written, “You shall not speak evil of a leader of your people.” ’

6 When Paul noticed that some were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he called out in the council, ‘Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead.’ ⁷When he said this, a dissension began between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸(The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge all three.)

⁹Then a great clamour arose, and certain scribes of the Pharisees’ group stood up and contended, ‘We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?’ ¹⁰When the dissension became violent, the tribune, fearing that they would tear Paul to pieces, ordered the soldiers to go down, take him by force, and bring him into the barracks. 11 That night the Lord stood near him and said, ‘Keep up your courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome.’

Paul's first defense

Good afternoon friends,
As we celebrate this holiday, I'd invite you to be in prayer for workers, especially those who are under unfair pressure at work and those who are either out of work or worried about their jobs. I'd also encourage you to pray for a better culture of management and labor in this country based on mutual respect and kindness.

In today's reading we see Paul ask the Roman official for permission to speak to the crowd. We'll skip much of Paul's address, since we already know the story he is going to tell, which is about his conversion. Notice how Paul wants to be heard and speaks honestly about what God is doing through him.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 21:37- 22:3, 22:17-29

37 Just as Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, ‘May I say something to you?’ The tribune replied, ‘Do you know Greek? ³⁸Then you are not the Egyptian who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?’ ³⁹Paul replied, ‘I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city; I beg you, let me speak to the people.’ ⁴⁰When he had given him permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the people for silence; and when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying:

‘Brothers and fathers, listen to the defence that I now make before you.’

2 When they heard him addressing them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet. Then he said:

3 ‘I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated strictly according to our ancestral law, being zealous for God, just as all of you are today....

17 ‘After I had returned to Jerusalem and while I was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance ¹⁸and saw Jesus saying to me, “Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.” ¹⁹And I said, “Lord, they themselves know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. ²⁰And while the blood of your witness Stephen was shed, I myself was standing by, approving and keeping the coats of those who killed him.” ²¹Then he said to me, “Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.” ’ 22 Up to this point they listened to him, but then they shouted, ‘Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.’

²³And while they were shouting, throwing off their cloaks, and tossing dust into the air, ²⁴the tribune directed that he was to be brought into the barracks, and ordered him to be examined by flogging, to find out the reason for this outcry against him. ²⁵But when they had tied him up with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, ‘Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who is uncondemned?’ ²⁶When the centurion heard that, he went to the tribune and said to him, ‘What are you about to do? This man is a Roman citizen.’ ²⁷The tribune came and asked Paul, ‘Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?’ And he said, ‘Yes.’ ²⁸The tribune answered, ‘It cost me a large sum of money to get my citizenship.’ Paul said, ‘But I was born a citizen.’ ²⁹Immediately those who were about to examine him drew back from him; and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.