August 24, 2023 | Be On Mission
More Days of Sailing toward Jerusalem
Scripture: Acts 21:1-6(NIV)
1 After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. 2 We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. 3 After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. 4 We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 5 When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. 6 After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.
Devotional
This is another one of those passages it is tempting to skim over. But we must ask why Luke thought it was important enough to include in his history of the early church. Perhaps it has something to do with the global nature of Paul’s expansion of the church. In Acts 20-21, we see Paul in a multitude of cities in what is modern day Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, and Israel.
The theme verse for the Book of Acts, and for our “Be on Mission” study is when Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” At the same time that Paul was taking the gospel of Jesus Christ into southern Europe and western Asia, others were advancing the kingdom into Africa, India, and beyond. Christianity was going global.
What are the racial, ethnic, linguistic, and cultural barriers these early disciple-makers had to face? What are some of the barriers you encounter when challenged to share the faith with people in your neighborhood, workplace, school, or social spaces?
Near the end of the trip, Paul stayed in the Syrio-Phoenician city of Tyre for a week. Tyre is very close to Israel, and is mentioned dozens of times in the Old and New Testaments. A thousand years before Jesus, King David purchased cedar logs and hired carpenters and stonemasons from Tyre to build his palace in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:121). Later, David’s son Solomon did the same when constructing the temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 5:8-9). Five hundred years after that, Zerubbabel followed suit when rebuilding the destroyed temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 3:7).
Still, there were ongoing struggles and conflicts between the Phoenicians of Tyre and the Israelites of Jerusalem. The people of Tyre worshiped idols and swore allegiance to their Syrian leaders. When Jesus was ministering, he warned the people of Israel saying, “Woe to you…. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes” (Matthew 11:21). Later, Jesus traveled to that region and brought healing to the daughter of a woman who boldly declared “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table” (Matthew 21:27).
In the same way, Paul didn’t see the people of Tyre as unworthy dogs or unspiritual animals. He saw them as people who needed the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. Think again about the people in your neighborhood, workplace, school, or social spaces. Who seems far from God? Who might think of themselves as unworthy beasts when it comes to God’s love and grace? How can you pray for them?
Poem
Kneeling On The Beach
When planning for vacation
A list of things to do
Plot out a route
Decide the mode
Of transportation, too
Check weather
Pack appropriate clothes
Plan who will water houseplants
Kennel the pets
Lock all the doors
The reservations set
Pack up the trunk
Have tickets? Check
Anything we have forgotten?
Did you empty
The Frigidaire?
Can’t come home to
Food rotten!
The tank is full
The tires checked
The fluids all tapped off
Ignition starts
Start podcast fav
Neck pillow warmed and soft
All things of this world
‘Membered well
Our destination reach
But most important
We forgot
“The kneeling on the beach”
A prayer lifted
Up to the Lord
For guidance on our way
For safety, wisdom
Folks we’ll meet
In places we will stay
Remembering
Who sets our path
Which way will we be turning?
Attending to
The Spirit’s voice
As we go forth a-journ’ing
