19-22When her owners saw that their lucrative little business was suddenly bankrupt, they went after Paul and Silas, roughed them up and dragged them into the market square. Then the police arrested them and pulled them into a court with the accusation, "These men are disturbing the peace—dangerous Jewish agitators subverting our Roman law and order."
By this time the crowd had turned into a restless mob out for blood.
22-24The judges went along with the mob, had Paul and Silas's clothes ripped off and ordered a public beating.
After beating them black-and-blue, they threw them into jail, telling the jailkeeper to put them under heavy guard so there would be no chance of escape.
He did just that—threw them into the maximum security cell in the jail and clamped leg irons on them.
25-26Along about midnight, Paul and Silas were at prayer and singing a robust hymn to God.
The other prisoners couldn't believe their ears. Then, without warning, a huge earthquake! The jailhouse tottered, every door flew open, all the prisoners were loose.
27-28Startled from sleep, the jailer saw all the doors swinging loose on their hinges.
Assuming that all the prisoners had escaped, he pulled out his sword and was about to do himself in, figuring he was as good as dead anyway, when Paul stopped him: "Don't do that! We're all still here! Nobody's run away!"
29-31The jailer got a torch and ran inside. Badly shaken, he collapsed in front of Paul and Silas. He led them out of the jail and asked, "Sirs, what do I have to do to be saved, to really live?"
They said, "Put your entire trust in the Master Jesus. Then you'll live as you were meant to live—and everyone in your house included!"
32-34They went on to spell out in detail the story of the Master—the entire family got in on this part.
They never did get to bed that night.
The jailer made them feel at home, dressed their wounds, and then—he couldn't wait till morning!—was baptized, he and everyone in his family.
There in his home, he had food set out for a festive meal.
It was a night to remember: He and his entire family had put their trust in God; everyone in the house was in on the celebration.
I find that these days, lots of traditional, "mainline" church folks spend their time bemoaning the coarsening of our culture and the decline of attendance at their worship services.
I can fall into that trap, too.
Then, I read a passage like this one in Acts 16.
We have nothing to moan about. Except, perhaps, the loss of power and strength that the early disciples experienced. Their witness was palpable and people were drawn to the unique message they lived out.
Paul and Silas suffer at the hands of "the world" in today's reading.
Why?
Because "these men are dangerous Jewish agitators, subverting our Roman law and order."
Could that possibly be said of any of us who are part of institutional, American Christianity today?
It was said of the civil rights leaders in the 1950's and 60's. It was said of the reformers of the 1500's.
Do we spend more time today trying to enforce "Roman" rule in our society today, or is some part of following Jesus supposed to be inherently subversive to the world's practices and values?
What part of our faith is risky enough to allow God to act in powerful, public ways? When are we ever in enough trouble for following Jesus that we might need him to come to our rescue?
Risk. Rejection. Power. Witness. What could these Acts 16 attributes have to do with our life as Jesus-followers today?
Grace & Peace,
Adam
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