Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Compassion that Frees

Bible Reading: Acts 16:19-34

Key verse:  

30-31 “..Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” ..“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved..”

DEVOTION

Luke is distinct among scripture writers as the only gentile (non-Jewish) contributor. Luke also recorded the miraculous genesis and spread of the Early Church in the Book of Acts, complementing the Gospel account of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
Acts 16 is a pivotal chapter with the following contents: (i) [v.1-5] Introduces Timothy, Apostle Paul’s son in faith (1 Timothy 1:2) (ii) [v.6-10] Macedonian Call for taking the Gospel to Europe; (iii) [v.11-15] First Christian in Europe, Lydia; (iv) [v.16-24] Paul and Silas imprisoned in Philippi, Roman colony in Macedonia; (v) [v.25-40] Philippian jailor converted.
The devotional passage (Acts 15: 19-34) is drawn from sections (iv)-(vi). It may be noted that Paul and Silas were not imprisoned for preaching the Gospel, but for casting out a spirit of divination from a fortune-telling slave girl that generated income for her owners. The owners became upset, and seized Paul and Silas, bringing them before the rulers, stating that Paul and Silas were Jews disturbing their city. The crowd joined in attacking Paul and Silas, who were beaten with rods after tearing off garments. They were thrown into prison, with feet fastened in stocks.
Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns around midnight, with the prisoners listening to them. There was a great earthquake that shook the prison’s foundation. All the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds unfastened. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open, he assumed that the prisoners had escaped and drew the sword to kill himself. However, Paul beseeched the jailor not to harm himself, since they were all there. The jailor fell down before Paul and Silas, asking, “Sirs. What must I do to be saved?”. They responded, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household”, echoing Apostle Peter’s testimony to the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem during the early days of Christianity that there is salvation in no one else than Jesus (Acts 4:12). They spoke the word of the Lord to the jailor and his household, baptizing them. He washed their wounds, and gave them food.
The devotional passage illustrates the freeing power of compassion that Paul modeled to the Philippian jailor, thwarting him from killing himself, despite being beaten with rods and fastened in stocks. In the first epistle to Corinthians, Paul explains his compassion on the basis of experiencing God’s grace firsthand, terming himself "least of the apostles", albeit unworthy to be called an apostle, since he had persecuted Christians (1 Corinthians 15:9-10), and ravaged the Church (Acts 8:3). Paul states the compassion rationale more poignantly in the Ephesians epistle: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
The devotional passage offers the following reflective questions:
Are we willing to suffer for the Gospel like Paul and Silas, imprisoned in Philippi?
Are we ready to pray and sing hymns amidst suffering, like Paul and Silas in prison? Do people listen to us, like they did for Paul and Silas?
Are we prepared to share the Gospel with the Philippian jailors around us, respond to their pleas for salvation?

PRAYER

Help us O LORD to be compassionate to others. To be Salt and Light. Lighted to Lighten.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Jesus had compassion on the crowds because they were harassed and
helpless, like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36). We may be the only Jesus that many will
ever meet.

 
Dr. Cherian Samuel
Immanuel Mar Thoma Church, Virginia

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