Paul is arrested
by Neil Bergmann
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
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, if we depend on our own strength and wisdom, it is hopeless. 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.
- Click here to read previous devotions.
- We are also posting them on LCA Facebook, making it easy for you to share them with family and friends.
- Sign up to receive Daily Devotion in your inbox every morning. If you’re already doing that, please encourage others to sign up. Click here for the link.
