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Acts: 22:30, 23:6-11
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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Saint Paul has just been put on trial, severely lashed, and thrown back into prison. Half-dead, he prays from his cell, “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, saying, “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, he will be put to death, just like his Lord.
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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, other than the fact that he “bears witness”; nor does it explain away 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 always, until the end of the age.”
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What can Paul’s life and ministry say to us?
That, at times, God allows pain and suffering to enter into our lives. But not without grace.
As Paul himself writes, “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.”
Paul bore his cross faithfully. His way out – his reward – was the resurrection. And for him that promise of eternal life was more than enough.
May Paul pray for us that we, too, would accept the Lord’s will even when suffering is involved, because it leads to life in abundance.
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Image credits: (1) National Catholic Register (2) Saint Paul in Prison, Amazon.com (3) Pinterest