Unsung Heroes: Commitment of Silas — Wednesday
2 Corinthians 11:12-14
But I will continue doing what I have always done. This will undercut those who are looking for an opportunity to boast that their work is just like ours. These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. (NLT)
As we touched on yesterday, Paul and Silas had every reason to shirk their responsibility, pack it up, and head on home (once they got out of prison). Every great movie has a pivotal moment where the protagonist can either tap out or rally for one final push. Well for Paul and Silas, “rallying” was more of a silent submission than a defiant objection, but that was for a very specific reason.
One of the most interesting things about this story is the accusation that landed them in the slammer: The owners of the formerly possessed girl said that Paul and Silas were “disturbing our city.” This was a political move and a trump card that intersected a lot of different cultural subtleties in Philippi, meaning that Paul and Silas were whisked away under even more frustrating circumstances than what appear on the surface. The “I’m Offended” wand was waved, with their accusers essentially shouting, “They’re like the others who have been causing problems.”
Do we see something like that today? At the drop of a hat, people pointing out that we’re a bother, irrelevant, or offensive to the status quo—even when, like Paul and Silas, we’re just trying to do the right thing but get chastised as a result? In the society we live in, prison may not be our primary worry, but many of us still find ourselves living in fear of the consequences that come from breaking societal rules.
Looking more closely, we see these same dynamics with the Roman prison guard. Post-earthquake, his immediate reaction is to do himself in because he knows he’s in huge trouble. Interestingly, he’s far more fearful of his own culture than his “maximum security” prisoners who are suddenly unshackled and loose. I think we’re seeing a similar phenomenon today, in more ways than one. There’s a staunch, vocal, divisive element amongst us, and unfortunately, it exists in both secular culture as well as Christian culture.
Whether it’s because of our own fear, the voices of dominant culture, or legalism in Christian culture, it’s easy to feel like we’re shackled deep in a prison. But because we know the truth of Jesus, the reality is that we are free. And this freedom isn’t just for us to keep to ourselves, even though that may be the easier, pain-free route at times. Because of the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf, we have the opportunity and responsibility to do the right thing and share about Him and the freedom He offers, just as Paul and Silas did with the jailer.
Wednesday’s Reflection
Can you step into that freedom today and love the people around you courageously?
