April 6, 2011

Reading for April 4-8 Acts 23:12 - 24:21 Wednesday Why Would Paul Entrust Himself to Unjust "Justice"? "When Paul was called in, Tertullus presented the charges against Paul..... The governor then motioned for Paul to speak. Paul said. . . . . Acts. 24:10 Why Legitimize the Process by Participating In It? Pastor's Reflection Why would Paul submit to this kind of trial? I honestly don't think it's because he has to. Nor do I think it's because he's trying to manipulate his way out of jail or to save his skin. I think he was living at a level above that. It looks to me like Paul just couldn't escape his desire to take advantage of every opportunity to talk about the resurrection of Jesus. Actually Paul's situation is very, very interesting. In this passage he is about to talk again about the resurrection of Jesus. And he will do so before the legal authorities of both Judaism and the Roman empire. Paul is connecting the resurrection to justice! For Paul, God's justice is found in a huge world-wide vision of the meaning of Easter Sunday. What God did for Jesus, God is doing for the world. All the broken parts of the world are being put together by God. And guess what? -----that is the job of all legal authorities on earth, and Paul gets to express this reality before, in his view, the most important legal authorities in the whole world!!! (see Romans 13). What are magistrates supposed to do? Join God in bringing healing and justice to the world, remembering, of course, that justice is far, far more than punishing the bad guys. For Paul resurrection is EVERYTHING!!! "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9