by Neil Bergmann
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The commander went to Paul and asked, ‘Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?’ ‘Yes, I am,’ he answered (Acts 22:27).
Read Acts 22:17–29
Continuing from yesterday’s reading, Paul spoke to the crowd, explaining his background and the mission he had received directly from Jesus to spread the gospel to the Gentiles. It didn’t convince the crowd – they shouted, ‘Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!’ (verse 22).
The Roman commander still couldn’t figure out the fuss, so he ordered that Paul be flogged to get the truth out of him. However, once they discovered he was a Roman citizen, they treated him with more respect.
Like the Roman commander, we often want to get to the bottom of a conflict, find out the true situation and figure out who is right and wrong. Thankfully, we don’t start flogging people to do so these days. Like the Roman commander, we also tend to weigh the evidence based on the status and importance of those involved.
The success of the scientific method in understanding physical systems encourages us to believe that there is always a single, correct, underlying truth to every phenomenon and that by careful application of rational thought, we can find it. That may be true for the laws of physics, but it certainly isn’t true for human relationships.
Our goal in human conflict is not to find the truth to judge one side or the other as correct. Often, the only truth is that a conflict has led to hurt and harm on both sides. Instead, our goal in conflict is to bring peace and reconciliation so that hurts can begin to heal.
Reconciliation starts with forgiveness. We do not have the strength within ourselves to forgive those who have hurt us. When we realise how much we have been forgiven by God and will continue to be forgiven as we struggle through life, it becomes possible to extend that forgiveness to others.
Merciful and steadfast God, forgive me for all my faults and weaknesses. Please give me the strength to forgive others so that peace and reconciliation can abound in your kingdom. Amen.
Neil Bergmann worships at Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Rochedale, Queensland. He enjoys being part of the monthly Messy Church planning team at Our Saviour.
by Neil Bergmann
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After receiving the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic: ‘Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defence’ (Acts 21:40–22:1).
Read Acts 21:37–22:16
In yesterday’s reading, Paul was arrested and about to be taken into the Roman barracks. As we continue the story today, we read that Paul asked permission to address the crowd.
The crowd grew quiet as Paul talked to them in their own language, Aramaic. He repeated the story of his conversion to a follower of Jesus. Previously, Paul had persecuted Christians. Then, one day, on the road to Damascus, Jesus appeared to him and told him that he would be a witness to the Gentiles about Jesus’ gospel.
What lessons might we learn from this story about dealing with conflict and misunderstanding?
Firstly, Paul acknowledged what he had in common with those who had just attacked him. He spoke their language to emphasise that he was one of them. He explained that he shared their zeal for God, even to the extent of persecuting those he believed were spreading false doctrine. Then, he described his conversion and why he had changed his opinion about Jesus.
Similarly, when faced with conflict, we should not assume that because others have a different opinion from ours, they must be wrong. Instead, we should seek to build understanding. We should look for common ground. Most of all, we should actively listen to the opinions of others to understand why their belief differs from ours. The area of immediate conflict is often a symptom of a deeper difference in our fundamental beliefs. Such active listening may not resolve the dispute, but it may lead to mutual respect and understanding. With God’s help, we can understand that reconciliation does not always require agreement.
God of reconciliation, we admit we do not deal well with conflict. We find it hard to love our enemies. Fill us with your love and peace so that we can minister to a hurting and divided world. Amen.
Neil Bergmann worships at Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Rochedale, Queensland. He enjoys cooking, reading and spending time with friends and family.
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.