Daily Devotion for Lent 2020 - Day 37

Scripture Reading: Acts 26:19-32 (NRSV)

Paul continues with his appeal to King Agrippa.  In reality, we see that Paul is seeking not to prove his innocence so much as convert Agrippa to Christianity!

When Paul mentions that the Messiah was foretold by the prophets that he must suffer, the risen Lord said this same message to the disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:26:

Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?”

We have already seen Isaiah's suffering servant referenced as the Messiah from Acts 8 where Philip meets the Ethiopian Eunuch.

Agrippa's response is not as harsh as that of Festus who claims that Paul is crazy!  But Luke gives the impression that maybe a seed was planted with the king.  History shows us that nothing comes of this and Josephus the historian implies an incestuous relationship (Antiquities of the Jews Book 20, Chapter 7) with Agrippa and his sister Bernice who was also present for Paul's testimony.

We can applaud Paul for his tenacity though!  What do we do with people who hear the testimony but do not believe?  Jesus mentions this very situation in Luke 10:23-24:

Then turning to the disciples, Jesus said to them privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”

This reminds us that it is a common experience for people to miss what is in front of them.  What do we do with truth as we see it which others may not merely miss but actively refute?  We trust in our testimony and remind ourselves that God is also at work in their lives just as God is at work in ours.  As we engage in dialogue with them, we must remember that true dialogue happens when we learn from each other and we're not just letting them speak while we think about what we'll say next.

Authentic dialogue takes trust.

Sometimes Christians are so charged by their transformation in Christ that they want this same experience for everyone!  Their enthusiasm may be just what some people are looking for while simultaneously turning others off completely.  For these same others, a quiet confidence may be needed for them to hear.  But this seeming lack of enthusiasm may cause the first group to pass on their faith!

We may relax and remember that God uses all kinds of people to get the witness across.  How would you describe your own sense of witness to the world?  Does it primarily rely upon your actions to your neighbors?  If so, is there a good word you might say that would accompany this?  And if you are more verbal in your witness, how might doing a good deed quietly accentuate your message?

Prayer for the day:

Lord,
give us weak eyes for things that are of no account
and clear eyes for all your truth.
Amen.

Prayer by Soren Kierkegaard, Denmark, 19th Century 

Photo by Public Relations Society of America via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

All scripture quoted is from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.