by Neil Bergmann
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The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done (Acts 21:33).
Read Acts 21:27–36
In today’s instalment of Paul’s story in Jerusalem, he was attacked by some in the temple and almost killed. It was only the intervention of a Roman commander that stopped the beating. In order to understand the reason for the trouble, the centurion arrested Paul and took him to the Roman barracks because he couldn’t get a clear answer about the problem.
Paul had done nothing in Jerusalem to incite this trouble. Those opposed to him from outside Jerusalem falsely accused him and stirred up the crowd.
Look around the world today. It seems people everywhere are on edge. Society seems to drive us over and over to take a position on moral, social and political questions; we are then pushed to reject not only different opinions but also those who have different opinions. On each issue, it seems society is polarised between the ‘good’ people (those who agree with me) and the ‘bad’ people (those who disagree).
We can blame broadcast media, social media or extremist commentators for this; however, looking at today’s Bible reading, it seems clear that the situation wasn’t very different 2000 years ago. This is part of what it means to be broken humans.
Rather than try to pick the right side of each argument and then join the battle, as Christians, we are called to be peacemakers. In such a divided society, this can seem a hopeless cause. Indeed, it is hopeless if we depend on our strength and wisdom. Instead, we turn to our God, the source of all peace and wisdom and our one hope for a better world.
God of the impossible, give us hope for a better world. Fill us with your peace and give us your strength and wisdom to be peacemakers in a world of conflict. Amen.
Neil Bergmann worships at Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Rochedale, Queensland. He is currently a member of the Synod Agenda and Outcomes Working Group for the Ordination Way Forward project of the LCANZ.
by Neil Bergmann
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Take these men, join in their purification rites, and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you are living in obedience to the law (Acts 21:24).
Read Acts 21:15–26
This week’s readings from Acts follow Paul’s arrival in Jerusalem, his encounters with the Jewish and Roman authorities, and his eventual arrest. The story of this part of Paul’s journey is interesting from a historical point of view, but it can be harder to figure out what this narrative has to say to us today about our Christian discipleship journeys. Like many stories throughout the Bible, we discover more about what it means to live as broken humans in a broken world. We find out that existing power structures don’t like to be challenged, whether in the church (the Sanhedrin in this case) or secular society. We also learn there is not one best way to proclaim the gospel in the face of opposition.
In today’s reading, Paul and his companions headed to Jerusalem. Like Jesus when he headed to Jerusalem a week before his crucifixion, Paul was no doubt apprehensive about what would happen to him when he arrived. Jesus had said:
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing (Luke 13:34).
On his arrival, Paul did two things. Firstly, he met with other Christians in Jerusalem, who comforted and encouraged him. Secondly, on the advice of his friends, he went through a ritual purification ceremony as a sign of humility and a sign that he was living in obedience to the Jewish law.
We might consider these things when we find ourselves in situations where conflict seems likely. Don’t go it alone – listen to the advice of those you trust and lay your concerns and worries before God in prayer. Show humility and kindness to those around you, including those with whom you disagree. Always leave the door open for God to bring reconciliation. Even when we can’t see a way out, God can find a way.
God of peace, help me put aside my self-righteousness and pride in my wisdom. Give me humility and gentleness. Bring healing and hope where I can only see despair and conflict. Everything is possible with you. Amen.
by Maria Rudolph
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Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? (Psalm 15:1)
Psalm 15
Back in the day when King David wrote Psalm 15, the concept of ‘the Great Exchange’ hadn’t been written about yet. King David expressed it in his psalms, but Christ needed to come to the earth to show us the meaning of it truly.
In Psalm 15, King David writes a checklist of who could dwell with God in eternity. Let’s get the marker out and see how we go on this scale:
- Lead a blameless life.
- Always speak the truth from the heart.
- Do not gossip.
- Do no wrongdoing toward anyone.
- Do not engage with any non-believer.
- Lend to the poor interest-free.
- Do not accept bribes.
I hope you went better than me and got all ticks and no crosses. I got lots of crosses. I have failed this test miserably. I am not good enough. I can’t measure up. But lucky for me – and you if you’re in the same boat as me, as I suspect – one cross was chosen by God to overwrite all the crosses on this checklist.
This is the Great Exchange. Jesus, the perfect one who has a tick against everything on this list, takes the place of me, a miserable sinner who gets it wrong a lot of the time. My disobedience is exchanged for his obedience, my blood for his, my death for his.
And when I stand before God with my head hung low like King David, who committed adultery and murder and lied about it, God only sees ticks and no crosses. Because of the cross of Jesus, none of the other crosses count for anything anymore, and I am washed whiter than snow.
When David asks, ‘Who may dwell in your sacred tent and who may live on your holy mountain?’, the answer is ‘No one, but all of us. But not us but Christ in us, and through Christ we are saved by the grace of God alone. Thanks be to God for Jesus and what he has done for you, me, all of us.
Dear God, when I consider Jesus Christ, beaten, killed, and a broken man, I hold my breath, but even more, I stand in awe when broken people come to him, hand in hand. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Maria loves serving God through the LCANZ and currently does this at St John’s Perth as a pastoral associate and volunteers at Concordia Duncraig in Western Australia. She enjoys being part of a Way Forward Working Group and tackling current theological issues on the Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations. Her three kids and pastor husband keep her very happy and busy.
by Neil Bergmann
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All these evils come from inside and defile a person (Mark 7:23).
Read Mark 7:1–8,14,15,21–23
Jesus responds to the Pharisees’ concerns about outward uncleanness by explaining that uncleanness comes from within a person, not from without. This can still be a hard lesson for us to learn today.
We don’t use the same words as the Pharisees. We don’t often talk about somebody being pure, perhaps even less about somebody being unclean. Nevertheless, we still make judgments about others, both within and without the church, as to how ‘good’ somebody is. And, of course, we want others to think that we are good – kind, sincere, polite, honest, courageous, wise and helpful. All qualities worth having.
The problem comes when these virtues become an end in themselves, and we believe that we can be good people through our own strength and effort. Returning to the gospel soon puts us straight. Our inherent nature is not good; it is just the opposite. If we depend on our strength, we will not be living authentic, Christian lives; we will just be putting on a show.
Instead, every day, we are called through our baptism to die to sin, ourselves and our pride in our goodness. Then, we can rise to live again in Christ. God alone gives us any goodness we have. God alone can provide the strength to conquer our sinful nature.
Freed from slavery to sin and empowered by the strength of the creator of all creation, we are equipped to live our best lives. Freed from slavery to sin, we can join Christ’s mission to proclaim God’s kingdom of peace, justice and love to a world that desperately needs it.
Patient and loving God, we like to think we are good people. Please give us the humility to accept that we are weak and sinful without you. Please help us stop depending on our strength and prepare us to rely totally on your strength. Then, use us in your mission to the world. Amen.
Neil Bergmann is chair of Lutheran Earth Care, Australia and New Zealand. A retired computer engineer, he worships at Our Saviour Lutheran Church in Rochedale, Queensland.
by Maria Rudolph
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We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them for seven days (Acts 21:4a).
Read Acts 21:1–14
Whenever I travel in Australia or overseas, staying at a guest house or hotel is okay, yet always a bit impersonal. I feel quite separate from the locals and their lives. I’ve used Airbnb a few times, and that gives an interesting ‘everyday life’ perspective on a place. But I reckon nothing beats staying in the home of fellow Christians: reading the Bible together and eating and praying together. When I stay with Christian sisters and brothers, I feel I have a bond so precious, sometimes stronger than with family members or other friends. Do you have your own experience of Christian hospitality?
When Paul boarded a ship on his missionary journey and went past places now teaming with mass tourism hotel complexes and restaurants galore (for example, Kos, Rhodes, Cyprus), accommodation options were sparse, and all-you-can-eat buffets not yet a thing. But it was intentional that Paul and his companions sought out fellow Christians to stay with everywhere they went. Paul and his friends would have been a great encouragement to them, reinforcing their faith, giving them sound Bible teaching, and discovering spiritual gifts among them (Acts 21:9). The stays were of mutual benefit, as the Christian hosts prophesied over them (Acts 21:4b,10,11), prayed with them (Acts 21:5) and provided what they needed. In the end, we are reminded of the disciples trying to discourage Jesus from meeting his destiny in Jerusalem, with Paul’s companions realising all the prophesies seemed to indicate Paul’s arrest upon arrival in Jerusalem. But Paul stoically and faithfully follows the path of the Holy Spirit and sets them an example of Christian obedience.
In all this, Christian hospitality sweetens this heavy storyline like fine honey. Thanks be to God when we receive Christian hospitality and get a chance to give it to others.
Dear God, let me show Christian hospitality to others, whether by having them stay over, providing them with a meal, or sharing my time with them. Thank you for the times I have received Christian hospitality from others. Help me seek out my Christian sisters and brothers near and far for mutual encouragement and prayer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Maria loves serving God through the LCANZ and currently does this at St John’s Perth as a pastoral associate and volunteers at Concordia Duncraig in Western Australia. She enjoys being part of a Way Forward Working Group and tackling current theological issues on the Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations. Her three kids and pastor husband keep her very happy and busy.
by Maria Rudolph
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace (Acts 20:24).
Read Acts 20:17–38
Who would you gather around you if you had to say farewell forever and move to a different place? What would you say to these people? And what might your legacy be in their eyes? How would you like to be remembered?
After establishing and nurturing the Ephesian church, Paul was led to the next place by the Holy Spirit. He had worked hard to establish a good leadership team whom he had equipped with all he had to preach about the gospel. Paul gathered these elders at his departure. He continued to stay in contact with them, as we can see from Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians. It shows that a number of the inklings the Holy Spirit gave Paul had come true: ‘I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock’ (Acts 20:29). In response, Paul wrote to the Ephesians about clothing themselves in the armour of God and to pray in all circumstances (Ephesians 6:13–18). Paul also said, ‘I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me’ (Acts 20:23). He later writes to them as an ‘ambassador in chains’ (Ephesians 6:20).
Paul keeps his eyes firmly fixed on Jesus and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, although the places he gets sent to are anything but a walk in the park. Paul has complete obedience to God’s will. Like an Olympic runner, he keeps encouraging us to stay the course. At the end of his life, he writes to Timothy: ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:6,7). Yet, for Paul, gaining even the crown of life was never his motivation. He reminds the Ephesian elders in his farewell speech of the words Jesus himself spoke: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
Wouldn’t it be amazing to leave a legacy of faithfulness? Wouldn’t it be great to be remembered for godliness? We can do this one prayer at a time. One faithful act after another. ‘For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do’ (Ephesians 2:10).
Dear God, take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee. Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Maria loves serving God through the LCANZ and currently does this at St John’s Perth as a pastoral associate and volunteers at Concordia Duncraig in Western Australia. She enjoys being part of a Way Forward Working Group and tackling current theological issues on the Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations. Her three kids and pastor husband keep her very happy and busy.
by Maria Rudolph
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ‘He’s alive!’ (Acts 20:10)
Read Acts 20:1–16
Do you have a favourite ‘strange’ Bible story? The story of the young man who falls out of the window and dies while listening to Paul has always been up there for me. What a dramatic scene! When at first Paul only preached about Jesus rising from the dead on the third day, the next thing he showcases the life-giving resurrection power of Jesus right in front of everyone’s eyes.
Imagine this happening in your church service. Anyone who’s ever experienced an ambulance being called to pick someone up with a medical emergency knows how such incidents stir everyone up. How much more impressive would a resurrection be? It would probably be an experience you’d never forget.
In great contrast to the preceding account of the riot in Ephesus, where the heightened emotions of the crowd were detailed, there is no mention of the emotion of the crowd in this story, even though Paul immediately reassures them, ‘Don’t be alarmed’ (Acts 20:10). A man fell out of the window from the third storey before their eyes. Were they stunned and fell silent? Had they taken to heart Paul’s preaching that ‘If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord’ (Romans 14:8), and ‘I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:11–13).
Whatever the dramatic circumstances of this evening, it ended well for the people of Troas. Paul kept preaching until daylight the next morning, and then ‘the people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted’ (Acts 20:12). It surely was a night to remember, one where the power of God was revealed tangibly. The words of Jesus from John 20:29 remind us, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed’. Today, hold fast to the knowledge that God’s power is strong and amazing whether you see it manifest tangibly before your eyes, or whether it comes to you during Sunday’s service in the words, ‘Your sins are forgiven’.
Dear God, thank you for the miracles being performed in your name. I’m in awe of you when you heal people. I’m in awe of you when you tell me that I’m your beloved child, and you feed me with your body and blood. Help me grasp your power and might through my daily experiences and be comforted by you in the good and bad times. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
by Maria Rudolph
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The assembly was in confusion: some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there (Acts 19:32).
Read Acts 19:21–41
Can you think of any big issues we currently face in our church? Big problems we are facing in society? How do these issues get handled? Are you involved in any of them yourself? How do you see other people getting involved?
There have been issues and conflicts as long as there have been humans, ranging from mundane worldly matters to complex spiritual ones. The Book of Acts gives us a taste of issues among the new pastors and teachers and what the new Way (as the Christian faith became known) meant for people.
Sometimes Jews and Christians clashed. There were wrong teachings within the new churches themselves. Christians clashed with the Gentile faiths around them. On top of that, new ways of living promoted by biblical principles clashed with the perceptions of prevailing social norms.
And, sometimes, someone simply got upset because the Christians disturbed their equilibrium. Things had been a certain way for so long. Why should they have to change now?
A silversmith in Ephesus got upset that he was losing contracts: More Christians meant less need for his silver altars to the Greek goddess Artemis. Instead of addressing it using the proper process, he stirred up his silversmith mates, too, and then turned his economic problem into a religious one by declaring, ‘The goddess will be robbed of her divine majesty’ (Acts 19:27)!
This chipped at the foundations of many people’s faith, and they joined his protests without truly grasping what was going on. Once a proper riot started, some troublemakers simply joined in for the sake of fighting. Although Paul was wisely held back by his disciples, he was willing to face that wild crowd to take responsibility for the actions seemingly caused by the new church in Ephesus.
Instead of getting swept up in the commotion, the town clerk of Ephesus showed wise leadership by determining and dealing with the root cause of the riot: a silversmith upset with losing contracts, who was promptly advised to quit wreaking havoc and follow proper processes with his complaint.
This might be a good time to assess potential battles caused by issues in our church or society: What is the root cause? Am I following proper processes? How am I going about the battle I am involved in? If I am defending the Christian faith, do I conduct myself as one full of the fruit of the Spirit?
Dear God, grant me bravery and zeal like St Paul to stand up for my church and grant me wisdom like Ephesus’ town clerk to understand the core issues of matters. Grant me and all people of our church and society discernment and insight to find solutions for the issues facing us at this time. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Maria loves serving God through the LCANZ and currently does this at St John’s Perth as a pastoral associate and volunteers at Concordia Duncraig in Western Australia. She enjoys being part of a Way Forward Working Group and tackling current theological issues on the Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations. Her three kids and pastor husband keep her very happy and busy.
by Maria Rudolph
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
One day the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?’ (Acts 19:15)
Read Acts 19:11–20
You know the situation: You meet new people at church or a function. In our Australian and Lutheran cultures, we have subtle ways to find out about other people without bluntly asking, ‘Who are you?’ We ask, ‘What do you do for a living?’, ‘What was your maiden name?’ and ‘Are you related to such and such?’ They are all questions intended to place the other person into a context, to give them an identity that means something to us.
Who are you?
Even an evil spirit is asking this question. Jesus was well-known, and Paul, who preached Jesus every waking moment, had become a household name, not least thanks to the miracles that accompanied his preaching. Many grew in faith and knowledge of the gospel and gained a new understanding of who they were as children of God. People came from near and far for this teaching and the healings, going as far as taking items that had touched Paul back home to retain for themselves a bit of this healing power.
However, some Jews decided to skip Paul’s lectures on the gospel and tap straight into the miracle part by simply copying what they had observed Paul do. And it must have worked – there is power in the name of Jesus! The seven sons of the Jewish high priest went as far as going around driving out demons in Christ’s name. But they had not done their homework. The faith had not grown in them; they had not become acquainted with the gospel or the meaning behind the power of Jesus. They did not even know that to follow Jesus, they should become baptised children of God, which would give them a new life in Christ.
But they couldn’t fool the evil spirit they encountered. With one question, he rattled their thin roots and shaky foundations to the core, and they came tumbling down. Their embarrassing encounter became a lesson for us all.
Know who you are. You are a baptised child of God, the heir of the highest God. Jesus has given his life for you, and you are born again and are a new creation. Even when all else is stripped from you, and you leave this earth again naked, this identity will be your only and most precious possession. This is most certainly true.
Dear God, with Lutheran martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer, we pray, ‘Who am I? They mock me, these lonely questions of mine. Whoever I am, thou knowest, O God, I am thine’. Yes, Lord, to be yours is all we need to know about ourselves. Wash away our self-doubt, worry, and feelings of inadequacy and replace them with sure confidence in your name, on which we are calling to be saved. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Maria loves serving God through the LCANZ and currently does this at St John’s Perth as a pastoral associate and volunteers at Concordia Duncraig in Western Australia. She enjoys being part of a Way Forward Working Group and tackling current theological issues on the Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations. Her three kids and pastor husband keep her very happy and busy.