Isaiah 53:1-9/ACTS 8:26-40
“SEEKING CLARITY”
There are moments in life in which we could use a little clarity. You know what I mean? Life can be pretty confusing some times. We may struggle to make sense of world events, or our current, circumstances, or perhaps we find ourselves scratching our heads as we encounteer life's day to day perplexities, you know deep stuff, like: Where do dust bunnies come from? Do coconuts migrate? Why did God create mosquitos and how did Noah know their gender...? And why does ice float?
Son: So, Dad, why does ice float?
Dad: Because it’s cold. Ice wants to get warm, so it goes to the top of liquids in order to be closer to the sun.
Son: Really? Is that true?
Dad: Look it up and find out.
Son: (returning to his seat) I should just look stuff up in the first place.
Dad: You can learn a lot, talking to me. (returning to his seat)
Nothing like a little fatherly wisdom to clear things up, right? Fact is, we've all had moments when we could'vee used a little help understanding something we've seen or read or heard.
Luke takes us to such a moment in the life of a certain government official from the court of the Kandake of Ethiopia. Luke informs us that this isn't just any official – “He's the national treasurer – a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia”. (Acts 8:27)
You know what a eunuch is, don’t you? If not, you might want to look that up as well. This is a family friendly church, after all. I can tell you that the title of Kandake refers to the female monarch who ruled on behalf of her son in the African Kingdom of Kush, in modern day Sudan & Ethiopia.
So this eunich, who probably sang soprano in the choir, was a man of great power and prestige, who no doubt traveled in a caravan, complete with an armed escort. His entourage would’ve made for a rather imposing and intimidating environment in which to share one's faith. But share his faith young Phillip does, and his doing so has a huge impact. According to the writings of a second century bishop, it was the catalyst for the gospel spreading through the lands of Ethiopia and ultimately Africa!
Having said that, it would be easy to read this as a historical account of the early church, which it is, but it's much more than that. Luke wants us to learn from Phillip. Phillip is a next generation Christian, just as each one of us are. He first appears on the scene back as “one of seven men who are well respected and full of the Spirit and wisdom..., entrusted to run a food program..” (Acts 6:3)
Phillip was no Billy Graham. He was basicly a staff member at the local food bank. He's just a regular guy who's proven to be trustworthy and able, and full of the Spirit, as it were. He comes into his own as he flees the perscution that Stephen's martyrdom triggers, by reaching out to love on the ostracized people of Samaria, by healing those who're hurting and baptizing the new believers there.
So how is it that this former waiter of sorts winds up having such an impact? What can we learn from him? How can we follow in the proverbial footsteps of friendly Phillip? Luke provides us with four key insights in Phillip's story for our consideration. First is this, Phillip has been sent.
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Luke informs us that “An angel of the Lord said to (Phillip), 'Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza, and so Phillip started out on his way...” (Acts 8:26-27a)
It's only the second time in the book so far that an angel has been mentioned. So why here? It reveals that it's God sending Phillip, and that God is with him as Phillip starts out on his way, which echoes Jesus' Great Commission - his closing directive to his followers at the end of Matthew...:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all people, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to put into practice what I've taught and shown you. And be sure of this, I am with you always...!” (Matthew 28:19-20)
The angel sending Phillip reminds us that, like Jake and Elwood of Blues Brothers fame, we are on a mission from God. God intends to bless others thru us. We're to meet the needs of those he puts in our path, knowing that we're not alone as we do so. He is present. His angels are beside us. His Spirit is within us. His love for us and others will have a kingdom size impact, whether we detect it or not!
Therein is the second insight of Phillip's witness to the Ethiopian Eunuch: The Holy Spirit will nudge and lead us in specific ways. Luke informs us, rather matter of factly: “The Holy Spirit said to Philip, 'Go over and walk along beside (that man's) carriage.” (Acts 8:29)
It's what's called in some Christian circles, a divine assignment. God was providing an op for Phillip to connect with this fellow traveler. He did so by whispering in Phillip's inner ear. This detail raised a question for me. How did Phillip know the voice was that of the Holy Spirit and not his own?
Phillip seemed pretty certain. He's been listening. As Jesus told his followers: “The sheep listen for the Shepherd's voice. They follow his lead because they know his voice.” (John 10:3-4)
We learn to discern his voice by being in the Word. Learning what kinds of things he has said in the past helps us know what kinds of things he's likely to say in the present. In order then to hear his whisperings in the moment, I need to slow down, quiet my own inner voice, and listen. I find that when I do, He directs me to unforeseen, unrivaled connections and encounters, but its not what I'd have done.
I heard of a boy whose mother sent him to the store to buy milk. When the boy returned he was eating a double-decker chocolate ice cream cone. His mother asked where was the milk, her son replied
“Sorry, Mom, but God told me I could buy an ice cream cone instead.” Not likely.
The Holy Spirit doesn't direct us to do what we already wanted to do. That must've been a bit scary for Phillip to approach on foot this foreigner's horse drawn carriage. He could see the official reading from a scroll but wouldn't have known he's reading scripture until he got beside the carriage.
I relate to something Robby Dawkins writes. He shares that when he was young the idea of God 'speaking' conjured up images of a voice from heaven shaking the room:'You shall not pass!' “I wasn't sure I wanted to hear from God if that was so but one time a woman from my church approached me and told me that the Lord had showed her that my sense of self worth was misplaced... She was spot on with that so I asked, incredulously, “how did you know?” She said, “I was having my devotional time and praying in the Spirit. I got quiet listening to the Lord and then He spoke to me and I saw that. You know, Robby, if you pray and ask God to help you get quiet..., the Lord will show you stuff too!”
(from Robby Dawkins' book, Do What Jesus Did)
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So One, God goes with us as he sends us; two, Phillip learned to listen for and act on God's nudges and whisperings. And three, he connected by finding common ground and helped as needed.
Luke informs us that Phillip discovered that he and this Ethiopian fellow had some things in common. For e.g, they were both “going south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So one, they're both travelers, heading the same direction. Two, they both worship Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. After all, “The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship.”
(Acts 8:26-27)
He would only do that if he shared Phillip's belief that the God the Jews worshipped was indeed God of all nations and peoples. And third, this eunuch, like Phillip, believed that the Old Testament scriptures were the inspired word of God. After all, amazingly enough,this court official from the pagan court of Kush, “was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah”, specifically ch 53, which prophecies of God's suffering servant, the lamb who “God laid upon the sins of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6)
He likely heard this very passage read in the Jerusalem temple and heard a priest speak about its implications. Such a teaching would’ve focused on the prophet’s own suffering, and most likely, that of the people of Israel. But something doesn’t click. It doesn’t make sense. Neither Isaiah nor Israel fit the description in Isaiah 53, and this inconsistency has this African Eunuch troubled and perplexed.
Imagine his amazement as Phillip comes jogging up beside his chariot and asks, “Do you understand what you are reading?” (Acts 8:30) 'No - wait; where'd you come from?' 'Well, I was walking along over there..., when I got a nudge from the Holy Spirit to come help you!'
So these two guys wind up in a deep conversation together. Phillip offered the clarity the eunuch sought and before the day was over he'd given his heart to Jesus and been baptized in his name. They connected on common ground, Phillip asked some good questions and the Spirit did the rest!
What's more, Luke wants his audience, which as of today includes you and me, to see how Phil was doing what Jesus did. Luke tells this story in such a way that it mirrors one from his gospel – that of Jesus' resurrected appearance to his disciples on their way to Emmaus, from Luke 24.
Both stories involve travelers on a road leading away from Jerusalem. Phillip, like Jesus, joins the traveler(s), and initiates a conversation by asking a probing question. Central to both of these con-versations is the unpacking of Old Testament scripture with a focus on how Jesus fulfills them. Both stories culminate with a sacramental focus – Communion in the first and Baptism in the second; and both feature a passionate response to the clarity provided– with burning hearts and great rejoicing. (Acts 8:39)
What's more, both Phillip and Jesus vanish mysteriously at the story's conclusion. There is an unmistakeable parallel between the two. Why? Because Phillip was following Jesus' lead!
Phillip was a student of Jesus then, and guided by the Holy Spirit, we are his students now. We, also can have an impact by finding common ground with those God puts in our path, asking good, caring questions, listening well, and then offering clarity where there is confusion, hope where there is despair, healing where there is hurt and a sense of belonging to those who are seeking.
Phillip, as ordinary as he was..., did two extraordinary things. First, he took to heart his calling as a student of Jesus. He got into the Word, learned what it said about Jesus, learned from those who were in a relationship with Jesus, and then sought to do as Jesus did himself. In doing, so he trained himself to listen for Jesus' voice, who has risen from the dead and now leads and speaks thru the Spirit.
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And the second extraordinary thing this ordinary guy did was he acted on the Spirit's nudges to come along side those God put in his path. The pivotal moment in the story is when the Holy Spirit told Phillip, “'Walk beside that man's carriage', and Phillip ran over and heard the man...”
(Acts 8:29-30)
He came along side this guy and listened. He asked good questions, and then, when the guy was ready, and invited him in, he sought to help where help was needed, and offered life-giving clarity.
That's what ordinary folks like you and I can do as well. The Holy Spirit delights in giving us clues and nudges where to go, to whom to go to and how to proceed. How fun when the person in the chariot wonders: What does this mean? How did you know? “Why can't I be baptized too?”
(Acts 8:37)
Whose chariot awaits you, I wonder?! Let’s pray…
Today's Spirit in Action Insights:
1) God is with you as He sends you to bless others
2) Listen for and act on the Holy Spirit's nudges
3) Connect by finding common ground and helping as needed
4) Do what Jesus did