Acts 28.1-15
Life in this fallen world is, in fact, a bed of roses. Thorns and all. Our work is cursed. Our lives are full of disappointment. Daily we see the signs of decay, whether they are leftovers we didn't take care of, fallen leaves in the yard, weeds, handprints on the wall, or grey hairs in the mirror. We look in the news paper and see who has committed what type of crime, what is happening to the economy, how our politicians are making promises of new things which are the same old stale idea, warmed over. So we tidy things up, throw out the old leftovers, rake up the leaves, decide if we want to pull the weeds or mow them down, wipe off or paint over the handprints, and whether to cover the grey hairs or just let them be there. We cut the coupons out of the newspaper and wonder if we'll decide to use them. And we figure that our politicians will get a clue sometime, or at least they will eventually retire and be replaced by a new crop of politicians who will think they are coming up with great new ideas. At the end of the day we can look around and see that this rose bed of life isn't all that bad. Thorns, yes. But blooms too.
Today we read Acts 28.1-15. We see that Paul is living in his rose bed. At the moment there are a lot of thorns. Let's remember enough of his history to see what has brought him to this chapter. After some riots, Paul managed to get himself arrested, thus defending himself from the crowds who wished to kill him. He then appealed to Caesar, though the authorities may have been willing to release him. Paul and some other prisoners are under way from Palestine to Rome. The soldiers and sailors who were supposed to guard their lives and well being failed in their task, sailing at an unfavorable time and becoming embroiled in a severe winter storm. After multiple days of poor visibility which rendered the sailors unable to chart their location, the ship has run aground on a reef near an unknown island. The cargo is lost but, thanks to Paul's intercession with the commanding officer, the prisoners have not been put to death. The prisoners and crew have made it ashore, thoroughly soaked. It has not exactly been a red letter day, though at least on one level they now know they are safe from drowning.
What do we see in the people who greet this shipload of people? We find natives of the island who are welcoming. They understand that wet winter weather can be dangerous. They understand that people who have washed ashore are in trouble. They welcome their visitors who have arrived with literally nothing but the clothes on their back. Warmth, shelter, food, and drink are all available on the island, and these several hundred newcomers will find it. Even unbelievers have a basic understanding that we care for the helpless and we do good for those who are suffering evil. How much more the believer?
Note how when Paul is bitten by the poisonous snake the Maltese people know that he is being punished for some sort of evil. They understand that there are spiritual forces at work in this world. Actions, even past actions, have consequences. See how watching the prisoner die is a spectator sport, but when Paul doesn't cooperate and die from this snake, which the onlookers clearly knew was venomous, they decide he is not an evildoer but that they have seen a supernatural act. The unbelievers know when a miracle has happened. They recognize it as a miraculous event. But they don't know where to place the praise. What an opportunity to explain that the true God of creation has protected his servant in this time and place to use him to tell them about the escape from the venom of the original serpent who has brought death to this world!
See in verses 7-10 that Paul the prisoner acts as an ambassador of the kingdom of God, bringing healing and grace into the life of the island's chief, Publius. This miraculous healing brings attention to our Lord and Savior through drawing people to Paul, who is used by the Holy Spirit to heal many people. Judging from Paul's past history, it is inconceivable to think he did not tell about the true healing which comes through Christ's atoning sacrifice. Yet whether people were believing or not is not mentioned by Luke. We don't know about their spiritual state. We simply see a believer ministering Christ's healing to people in need. For three months God's people are at work on the island of Malta. And they are honored, provided with what they need for their remaining journey.
Though we don't know what Paul's reasons were, we should realize that in Malta he could have "unappealed" to Caesar. There was a legitimate Roman governmental authority. They could have acquitted him of the charges, which had not seemed adequate to imprison him. Yet for some reason Paul decided not to do so. He continued on his trip to Rome. Along the way see how Paul "thanked God and took courage" (v. 15, ESV) when he was with believers in different places.
So here we have this bed of roses. Thorns are there in abundance. See that the unbelievers are ready to see God's hand working in people. They are ready to care for the helpless and provide stranded prisoners with what they need to continue their journey. They are ready to receive the provision that God makes through his people who trust in Jesus Christ. Are we, modern-day believers ready to act in the same manner? Do we realize that we are partakers of Christ's special mercy which he shed on us while we were his enemies? Do we live in light of that mercy by showing mercy to our world, bringing Christ's healing and grace to the attention of those people around us? Do we thank God and take courage from the fellowship we have with other believers? Are we receiving the sustenance God had given us in Christ?
Take a good look around the rose bed. Look above the thorns. There you see the roses.
Thanks be to God.
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