One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation." She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour. But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, "These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe." The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. (Acts 16:16-22)
Okay so I have given a much larger selection than has been my custom. I just couldn’t see cutting this one short – there is too much to unpack in this text as a complete story.
Funny highlight: Paul heals someone out of annoyance!
Disturbing trend: Fickle crowds turn from wonder to malice.
Familiar message: Following Jesus isn’t easy or popular.
Typical Witness: A slave-girl… the least powerful person in town.
Easy Out: “customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt”
Truth and Consequence: Messing with people’s money is a quick way to beating.
Each of these makes for an intriguing devotional on its own… at this point you are probably able to complete my thoughts for me. In fact it’s something of a good exercise – take each of these thoughts and start to mine it for nuggets. What do you see there? How does it relate to your own life and situation? What are the questions you find yourself wanting to ask about your (our) journey of discipleship?
You might say I’m trying the easy way out of my job today and pushing it off on you… then again, you might say (and I will!) that this is the best way I can do my job. Have fun, and let me (let all of us) know what you are seeing…
Inspiring God,
As we journey together let our community be a crossroads for a network of journeys where each of our paths cross and enrich our shared lives together. Stir us, inspire us, and send us out transformed and transforming.
Amen.
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