Opportunity in catastrophe

Acts 22:30-23:11

³⁰ The next day the commander ordered the leading priests into session with the Jewish high council. He wanted to find out what the trouble was all about, so he released Paul to have him stand before them.

¹ Gazing intently at the high council, Paul began: “Brothers, I have always lived before God with a clear conscience!”

² Instantly Ananias the high priest commanded those close to Paul to slap him on the mouth. ³ But Paul said to him, “God will slap you, you corrupt hypocrite! What kind of judge are you to break the law yourself by ordering me struck like that?”

⁴ Those standing near Paul said to him, “Do you dare to insult God’s high priest?”

⁵ “I’m sorry, brothers. I didn’t realize he was the high priest,” Paul replied, “for the Scriptures say, ‘You must not speak evil of any of your rulers.’”

⁶ Paul realized that some members of the high council were Sadducees and some were Pharisees, so he shouted, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, as were my ancestors! And I am on trial because my hope is in the resurrection of the dead!”

⁷ This divided the council—the Pharisees against the Sadducees—⁸ for the Sadducees say there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, but the Pharisees believe in all of these. ⁹ So there was a great uproar. Some of the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees jumped up and began to argue forcefully. “We see nothing wrong with him,” they shouted. “Perhaps a spirit or an angel spoke to him.” ¹⁰ As the conflict grew more violent, the commander was afraid they would tear Paul apart. So he ordered his soldiers to go and rescue him by force and take him back to the fortress.

¹¹ That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, “Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.”

Paul had been planning to visit Jerusalem and then go to Rome on his way to Spain (Romans 15:24). But the Holy Spirit had warned him that if he went back to Jerusalem, he would end up a prisoner (Acts 20:23). And he sent Agabus the prophet to give him the same warning (Acts 21:11). From Ephesus to Caesarea, the churches and his companions had all begged him not to go to Jerusalem. And now Paul is fighting for his life. This is the second time the soldiers have had to rescue Paul to save him from being torn to pieces.

Now Jesus appears to him and tells him two things. The first is to be encouraged. That he needed to say this gives a hint of how discouraged Paul must have been. If I were him, I would have been depressed and seriously thinking I had got things all wrong. The second is that though Paul’s plans are in disarray, Jesus’ plans are not. Paul would preach in Rome in a totally different way than he had expected. He would end up preaching to Caesar, the most powerful man in the world. And on the way, he would preach to a king and two governors.

Jesus had already warned his disciples that this kind of thing would happen. “But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me.” (Matthew 10:18)

Jesus is the one who turns things around. He turns catastrophes around and makes them opportunities. Jesus turns the catastrophe of my life around and makes me his child. He’s turning this out-of-control world around and redeeming and renewing it. To see it, I need to take my eyes off the chaos around me and look to him. I need to listen to him instead of the noise around me.

Today, Jesus, please open my eyes to see the opportunity for you to be heard amongst what sounds like accusation. Show me the things that you’re doing in the middle of what looks like calamity. And show me my part in the transformation you are bringing to my world.

Written by David Cornell