Daily Devotional • November 16
A Reading from Acts 28:14b-23
14b And so we came to Rome. 15 The brothers and sisters from there, when they heard of us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage.
16 When we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.
17 Three days later he called together the local leaders of the Jews. When they had assembled, he said to them, “Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, yet I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. 18 When they had examined me, the Romans wanted to release me because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case. 19 But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to the emperor — even though I had no charge to bring against my people. 20 For this reason therefore I asked to see you and speak with you, since it is for the sake of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.” 21 They replied, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken anything evil about you. 22 But we would like to hear from you what you think, for with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against.”
23 After they had set a day to meet with him, they came to him at his lodgings in great numbers. From morning until evening he explained the matter to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the law of Moses and from the prophets.
Meditation
After surviving disasters, shipwecks, and weather delays, Paul and his companions have made it to Italy, and finally they head to Rome. Christians who lived in the region met them along the road. In this triumphal entry to the city of Rome, Paul is greatly encouraged to see his brothers and sisters in Christ, and offers thanks to God. This assembly of believers is an embodiment of God’s power in the Church: many Christians already lived in and around Rome.
Even so, Paul’s priority once he was settled was to converse with the local Jewish leadership, the house of Israel. Paul tells them briefly how he came to be among them, and they indicate that they haven’t heard anything about him from the Jews in Judea, and they know of no one speaking badly about Paul, but they have concerns about “this sect” which is “everywhere … spoken against.”
They set a date to meet at Paul’s home, and Paul spends the entire day explaining about God’s kingdom and about Jesus, drawing from the Hebrew Scriptures, proclaiming Christ, and trying to convince the Jewish leaders—and here ends our reading.
Paul received a hero’s welcome from the Christians in Rome. He was met with skepticism by his own people. Until the last, he proclaimed the Lord Jesus Christ. May we do likewise, no matter our audience.
The Very Rev. Sherry Black is a second-career Episcopal priest, and has been a full-time hospital chaplain for over ten years. She also serves a small mission church as priest-in-charge, and is dean of her deanery.
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Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:
St. George’s Church, Dayton, Ohio
The Episcopal / Anglican Province of Alexandria
