october 15, 2020

Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Get up and go towards the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over to this chariot and join it.’ So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ He replied, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this:

‘Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,

   and like a lamb silent before its shearer,

     so he does not open his mouth.

In his humiliation justice was denied him.

   Who can describe his generation?

     For his life is taken away from the earth.’

The eunuch asked Philip, ‘About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?’ Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?’ He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

Acts 8:26-38

The Book of Acts is the second of a two–volume work by Luke. In the first volume, the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is the main character. In the Book of Acts, the Holy Spirit is the main character and drives the action. The Spirit moves people together for important moments and conversations. This scripture is just such a story, a story about Philip the evangelist and an Ethiopian man who had been, as a child, made a eunuch. He was cruelly maimed so that he could be educated for work in the court of the Queen Candace; thus, his maleness then would be of no threat to the Queen. This injustice did not prevent him from learning and growing in wisdom and knowledge. He was raised high in the esteem of the Queen and was now in charge of her treasury. (You don’t put someone untrustworthy or mediocre in charge of the money for the kingdom. Or, at least, you shouldn’t.) So here is a man who had withstood terrible injustice and yet found a way to rise in spite of it.

This Ethiopian was returning from a trip to Jerusalem to worship. He was a God-fearer, not considered quite a Jew but nevertheless a worshipper of God. As we think about his trip to Jerusalem, we are sure he certainly would have visited the Temple Mount, doubtless the high point of his trip. The Temple was strictly marked off into courts that excluded certain people. There was an Outercourt, where non-Judeans were granted access but could go no further. There then there were the Innercourts, where Judean women could enter. Next came the Court of Israel, for Jewish men. Last was the Court of the Priests, where only priests were allowed to enter. Finally, there was The Holy of Holies, which was entered only once a year by one priest.  The Ethiopian was allowed to approach only as far as the Outercourt but no further. Because of his physical condition, under the Law, he could be completely excluded from public worship. He may not have been allowed even into the Outercourt. So this trip to the place at the center of his faith may well have been a very painful experience in a lifetime filled with painful experiences. 

But we find the Ethiopian reading the prophet Isaiah, in spite of it all. He remains full of faith and curiosity. He identifies strongly with the One he finds in the verses quoted above. Philip starts from the verses that have grabbed him and shares the good news of Jesus with him. The Ethiopian is filled with excitement about this gospel, and he sees some water by the roadside. “What is to prevent my being baptized?” he asks. I’m indebted to my friend Nicole File who pointed out to me that the Ethiopian might have asked that question because he fully expected there to be rules that excluded him! He expected to hear, “You can stay in the Outercourt of faith in Jesus because you are not worthy of coming any closer.” But surprisingly Philip welcomes him, baptizes him, and the Ethiopian goes on his way home, rejoicing.  He has been welcomed and accepted! The Orthodox Church in Ethiopia counts this man as being the founder of Christianity in Ethiopia. He shared the good news with his whole nation, the good news that Jesus accepts all of us and covers our hurts and painful pasts with His grace. Jesus meets us all on level ground. The man who could not have a family of his own ends up in the Providence of God, being the father of all Christians in his nation.

For Reflection

Have you ever been brought together with someone for a pivotal conversation or encounter? 

Do you think the Holy Spirit still brings people together, as the Ethiopian and Philip were brought together, for an encounter or a conversation? Have you ever been part of such a conversation?

Why do you think the Ethiopian remained faithful and curious, in spite of his exclusion from the temple courts and family life?

How did Philip know it was all right to baptize the Ethiopian? 

What role do you see the Holy Spirit playing in this story? In your story?

Prayer

Dear Lord, the story of this man who remained open and curious about God and the life of faith causes me to look inside. Have I let past hurts and disappointments turn off my faith? Do I let the good news of Jesus fill me with energy and joy, or do I let myself close down and give up? Lord, do I clearly know when the Holy Spirit is leading me, bringing me to a new friendship, season, or work? Lead us, Holy Spirit, to be open to others and have important conversations, holy encounters, and life-changing friendships. Thank you, Jesus, for the way You overcame barriers and fences that we put up to welcome us all. Help us to be people after Your own heart.
Through Christ our Lord, Amen.