Daily Devotion for Lent 2020 - Day 40

Scripture Reading: Acts 28:1-22 (NRSV)

Paul's time on Malta is not without its excitement.  Prior to the healing of the sick, he lives through a venomous snake bite with no real consequence other than the locals begin to mistake him for a god.  This is not the first time we've seen this as we remember in chapter 14 he was confused for Hermes.

We see this snake handling among other miracles of Paul verified in Mark 16:17-18 which reads:

"And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Verses 9-20 from chapter 16 in Mark were later additions to his gospel and it is quite likely that they were written after the Book of Acts.  Paul seems to display all of these except the drinking of poison.  However, he does seem to shrug off the venom of the snake.  We see Paul laying his hands upon the father of Publius in today's reading and he is healed.  Then he cures the diseases of all who were on the island.  I'm sure they would have been happy for him to remain!

As Paul takes warmth in the hospitality
of a campfire, they then receive the
blessing of healing and good health.

Paul must travel on so as to fulfill his mission from God.  He finally arrives in Rome and finds that he is preceded by the Christian witness as he encounters believers who came to meet him.  While they are not mentioned by name, one wonders if some of the people Paul writes to in his Epistle to the Romans were present. 

Once again, Paul engages the Jewish population.  While they have heard negative press against Christianity in general, they have not received any bad word against Paul.  He seems to have caught a break!

Rome as the capital city holds more importance for the ancient world than we may understand today.  For Christianity to thrive in the world as they knew it, a church in Rome was vital.  Paul's success can be seen if you visit today as Vatican City in Rome is the center of the Roman Catholic Church.

While we await Easter once more, what does it mean for the faith to have spread around the world to touch our lives?  What history had to happen for it to come and transform me?  And how am I shaping today the history of tomorrow?

Prayer for the day:

Almighty and most merciful Father, 
   in whom we live and move and have our being, 
   to whose tender compassion we owe our safety in days past, 
   together with all the comforts of this present life and the hopes of that which is to come; 
we praise you, O God, our Creator; 
unto you do we give thanks, 
   O God our exceeding Joy, who daily pours your benefits upon us. 
Grant, we beseech you, that Jesus our Lord, the Hope of glory, may be formed in us, 
   in all humility, meekness, patience, contentedness, 
   and absolute surrender of our souls and bodies to your holy will and pleasure. 
Leave us not, nor forsake us, O Father, 
   but conduct us safe through all changes of our condition here, 
   in an unchangeable love to you, 
   and in holy tranquility of mind in your love to us, 
   till we come to dwell with you, 
   and rejoice in you forever.  
Amen. 

Prayer by Simon Patrick, Church of England, 17th century

Photo by Mathias Erhart 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.