Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Today's Scripture
Acts 21:37–22:16

Just as Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, “May I say something to you?” The tribune replied, “Do you know Greek? Then you are not the Egyptian who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?” Paul replied, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city; I beg you, let me speak to the people.” When he had given him permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the people for silence; and when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying:

“Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense that I now make before you.” When they heard him addressing them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet. Then he said:

“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated strictly according to our ancestral law, being zealous for God, just as all of you are today. I persecuted this Way up to the point of death by binding both men and women and putting them in prison, as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. From them I also received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I went there in order to bind those who were there and to bring them back to Jerusalem for punishment. “While I was on my way and approaching Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone about me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Then he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.’ Now those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me. I asked, ‘What am I to do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go to Damascus; there you will be told everything that has been assigned to you to do.’ Since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, those who were with me took my hand and led me to Damascus. “A certain Ananias, who was a devout man according to the law and well spoken of by all the Jews living there, came to me; and standing beside me, he said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight!’ In that very hour I regained my sight and saw him. Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear his own voice; for you will be his witness to all the world of what you have seen and heard. And now why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name.’ (NRSV)

Reflection

May I say something to you? This is hard to write about. My habits of Bible reading, either small excerpts or chapter by chapter, don’t fit this story.

But as I typed the whole story, I remembered that it’s one of the Bible’s more important stories and one that can teach me a lot. Paul tells a powerful story that doesn’t fit molds; it breaks them. Jesus breaks them for Paul.

Maybe this long-term view is something I could use in my own life — looking at months at a time, not just “Dear Diary, here’s what happened today.”

When I look at the whole picture — in my case, a whole volume or more of my diary — I hope to be able to see some progress. This is when I met someone. This is when someone helped me. This is what happened next.

If you don’t keep a diary, you might not think of life as particular dates. Maybe it’s easier for you if you don’t have all the daily notes I have, so the bigger picture shows up better. It’s important to know what happened daily, but I wonder what Paul would have dictated while he was blinded. Not the whole story, probably.

Sometimes, when not much is going on for a day, I’ll write that night about what’s going on that week or month. Getting time and space to look around at a bigger story is a good change. This Bible story is going to put a new light on the next person who asks me “May I say something to you?”

They could be ready to tell an important story.

Prayer
Dear God, show me as much of the plot as I can understand, not just today’s scenes. I know you are the director. Amen.

Written by Margaret Laing, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

Devotion index by date | I’d like to receive daily devotions by email