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Acts: 22:30 – 23: 11.
Wishing to determine the truth
about why Paul was being accused by the Jews,
the commander freed him
and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene.
Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them.
Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees,
so he called out before the Sanhedrin,
“My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees;
I am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead.”
When he said this,
a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees,
and the group became divided.
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection
or angels or spirits,
while the Pharisees acknowledge all three.
A great uproar occurred,
and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party
stood up and sharply argued,
“We find nothing wrong with this man.
Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”
The dispute was so serious that the commander,
afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them,
ordered his troops to go down and rescue Paul from their midst
and take him into the compound.
The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage.
For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem,
so you must also bear witness in Rome.”
The Word of the Lord.
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“God, what is your will for me?”
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It’s a question all of us have asked at one point or another.
I’m sure we never ask it hoping that the answer involves pain or suffering. Rather, an open door; freedom; opportunity; or an exciting experience.
None of these – freedom, opportunity, or excitement – await Saint Paul.
He’s just been put on trial, severely lashed, and thrown back into prison. Half-dead, he sits and wonders, “God, what is your will for me?”
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Anyone would’ve hoped for an open door or relief from pain and suffering.
But mysteriously, the Lord appears to Paul and says, “Take courage. For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome.”
That will be Paul’s next – and final – stop.
After faithfully proclaiming the Gospel, Paul will be put to death.
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What this passage tells us is as haunting as what it does not tell us.
It does not tell us why God allowed Paul to suffer so much; nor does it explain our own suffering.
But it does tell us that the Lord appeared to Paul; that Paul did God’s will; and through it all, Jesus was with him.
“Take courage,” the Lord says. I am with you.
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What can Paul’s life and ministry say to us? That, at times, God allows pain and suffering to enter our lives. But not without grace.
As Paul himself wrote, “No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Paul bore his cross faithfully. His way out – his reward – was the resurrection.
May he pray for us that we, too, may do the Lord’s will, which ultimately leads to life in abundance.
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Image credits: (1) DT Life Coach, Dr. David Turpen (2) The Plot against Paul: Reading Acts, WordPress (3) St. Paul Center