Day 43: Paul's Journeys, until Jerusalem....

This is where it's a good idea to start looking at a map, to keep track of the towns Paul travels through, the seas he sails through, as well as the people he meets.  At the beginning of chapter 19, Paul is traveling through Ephesus and meets some believers who have not yet received the Holy Spirit.  Not only that, they haven't even heard of the existence of the Holy Spirit.  He prays for them, and immediately they begin to speak in languages and prophecy.

Coincidentailly, there are "about" twelve of them. hmmmmm.

In the meantime, things are not going so smoothly in the synagogues.  There are people who are convinced about Paul's message, but many more who are not. One small, odd story concerns some exorcists who do not appear to believe in Jesus but who like to cast out evil spirits in his name.  At one point, the spirits ask the exorcists, "Jesus I know, and Paul I am familiar with, but who are you?"

Personally, the very small detail about people being healed by touching even small pieces of cloth that have been touched by Paul is the strangest to me.  This reminds me of the stories of medieval relics that have healing power.  What do you think about this?  In the midst of all of this trouble, the power of healing through Paul only gets stronger.

Paul decides to return to Jerusalem, which a lot of people think is a big mistake.  Many people try to talk him out of it.

At the same time, Paul is getting into trouble not just with Jews but with Gentiles who feel that he has "dissed" their goddess, Artemis.  He is a friend of no one's status quo.  His truth disturbs everyone, in some way or another.  His words and presence cause riots.

Aside:  during a theological conversation that lasts all night, a young man named Eutychus falls asleep, and falls out the window.  He is pronounced dead, but Paul raises him from death.  (possibly where the saying "bored to death" is from?)  (Just asking.)

Despite many many protests, Paul returns to Jerusalem.  Many of his friends plead with him, pray for him, beg him, but he leaves.  He arrives in Jerusalem to find it just as his friends have feared.  James tries to protect him, but Paul is the center of controversy and gossip in Jerusalem, because of what people have heard about the Gentiles, and what they claim that Paul is preaching.  Paul purifies himself to prove that he's still a good Jew, and James and other Jerusalem leaders repeat what they told the Gentile churches:  all they nee to do is abstain from eating blood, eating food sacrificed to idols, and from sexual immorality.

It does no good.  Paul is set up and arrested.  He appeals as a citizen of the Empire for the right to speak.

And speak he does.

(to be continued)

Day 25: He is Always Near

There's a little story at the beginning of Luke 21 -- the widow and her two coins.  We often use her as an example of good stewardship, because she gave all she had.  But she's not an example of good stewardship.  She's a victim of the corrupt temple system; she's taken advantage of by unscrupulous religious leaders who use her offerings to build up the temple (which is just going to be destroyed anyway)

And, she's also a picture of Jesus, who gave up everything to set us free from the power of sin and death.

Because He is always Near.  Keep alert.  Keep Awake. 

This chapter immediately precedes the beginning of the passion story, starting with Jesus celebrating the passover with his disciples.  Before that, Jesus warns the disciples that they need to always keep alert, because the end will come like a thief in the night, and they need to be ready always.  There are signs everywhere of his presence -- in the stars and the changing of the seasons, in the fig tree, in the widow and her two coins.

The end is always near.

Then the story becomes familiar:  Jesus eats with his disciples, and one of them goes to betray him.  He predicts Peter's denial; he prays, and they cannot keep their eyes open.  He is arrested, and he is mocked, and Peter does deny Jesus, and finally, he is brought before the religious leaders.

The end is always near.
We fall asleep, but he prays for us, and keeps telling us:  keep your eyes peeled.

Where do you see him?