Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Why didn’t Paul and Silas flee the prison in the aftermath of the Earthquake? And what does this mean for believers today? If I was unjustly imprisoned and beaten, and then an earthquake allowed me to escape, I think I would take the opportunity, with thanks to God for divine intervention. But if they had fled, the guard would have killed himself, or been killed by the authorities for letting his prisoners escape. Instead, his life was preserved and his whole family became Christians. This kind of mercy changes hearts.
In your life, when do you have the opportunity to show this sort of saving mercy? Remember, what Paul and Silas did for the guard, Jesus did for us. The guard had shown no remorse and made no apology when they called out to him. In the same way, Jesus lived, suffered, died, and rose for us, before we had shown the slightest interest in turning away from sin. This worked because Paul, Silas, and Jesus all knew they didn’t deserve this treatment; instead, God put them here to be loving, to be loved, and to fulfill a mission. Secure in that foundation, they both stood up for themselves, and refused to strike back and the people who hurt them. Who keeps sinning against you? Who has treated you badly and never apologized? Beyond individuals, are there groups of people that you blame for some ill in your life? Is the opposing political party, or another nationality, or another race, or a competitor messing up your world or your plans (whether in reality or just in your head)?
The answer to these sorts of wrongs is spiritual love. Love is the only solution. The Spirit of Truth that Jesus sends is the Spirit of Love, the Holy Spirit. The Loving Truth points out that none of us is innocent, that we all have views and practices which lead to injustice, and that all people are equal before our God and made to be loved. Let us treat the people we think of as ‘messing up’ our life or our world with mercy and love, instead of with contempt and hatred. Some of us have been beaten or imprisoned by the people we hold in contempt; many of us have not. Whatever your situation, let’s do as Paul and Silas did, and love as Jesus loved. Lord, search our conscience and show us who needs our mercy today. Amen.
-Chris Nieport