36 And the jailer reported the message to Paul, saying, “The magistrates sent word to let you go; therefore come out now and go in peace.” – Acts 16:36
So what is that hope that we wait for?
(If you didn’t read yesterday’s message you may want to take a second and go back, as this follows from the same story).
We come back to that scene where Paul and Silas are in the jail because of an unjust society. However, what happens in the night is surely a sign of the hope of God. While Paul and Silas are singing hymns in the innermost cell of the prison, an earthquake comes and sets them free. The jailer rushes in when he realizes that the doors of the prison are now open, ready to fall on his own sword if they had escaped (his punishment would have been worse from his employers). However, what he finds is that everyone is still in their place. Though they were free they remained. The guard falls to his knees and asks Paul about how one can be saved.
That very night, the one who had them in chains, turned, and now treated them as guests, bandaging and caring for wounds, inviting them into his home, sharing with them a family meal. This is the power of grace and hope. It turns those who were once against us into friends. It reminds us that though we may be on different sides at one moment, we are still one family. This is the hope that I hope we can find as a society soon. That we are called to be one family in and through Christ, that God is the God of us all, and desires us all to find that which we can agree.
When sunrise comes the next day, we find that the city magistrates have heard of the unjust arrest and flogging and want Paul and his companion released. However, Paul pushes a little further brining to light his citizenship as a Roman. Roman citizens were to be treated with greater respect, receive just trials, and since Rome was the super-power of the day, no one wanted to disrespect Rome (especially if you had trade dealings with them). The magistrates come to the place where Paul and Silas are staying, and formally apologize to them.
In less than 24 hours, the entirety of this story flips. Paul and Silas who were beaten and imprisoned for unjust reasons, are released with an apology from the city officials. It may not cover all the actions taken against them, but despite their situation, the hope remined secure for these followers of Christ. They kept the hope of a better tomorrow, and so should we. Always look for the hope of a better tomorrow.
Grace & Peace,
Sam