In today’s reading I was struck by the blindness in Acts 13. In the beginning of the chapter we are introduced to Sergius Paulus who was the Proconsul, an intelligent man that was interested in what Barnabas and Saul had to say so he sent for them.
Act 13:8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.
Act 13:9 Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said,
Act 13:10 "You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?
Act 13:11 Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun." Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.
With Elymas his spiritual blindness was materialized in his now physical blindness. I cannot help, but wonder if this physical blindness eventually opened his soul to the spiritual darkness he was in and now came to see the light. The Bible does not tell us the rest of the story as Paul Harvey would say, but as God’s people we can always hold out hope for others around us, but in the end it is God who will change the heart of a person, not us.
Act 13:41 " 'Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.' "
This passage shows us that people just will not believe even if we speak the truth to them. People want to hold on to what they have and believe in right now. Lee Strobel put it this way when talking about his search to uncover the truth about God.
“There were so many reasons why I didn’t want there to be a God, because I did not want to be held accountable for my life.”
The Jewish leaders in this town were just as worried about Barnabas and Paul preaching the word of a risen Christ as anyone, after all it was the Jewish people that shouted for this Messiah to be put to death. If what Barnabas and Paul was true then they would indeed be very worried about being held accountable for what had happened. Apart from that the way they had been preaching was being threatened since more and more people were going to hear the Word of the Good News being preached.
Act 13:44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.
Act 13:45 When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying.
Act 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.
Act 13:47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us: " 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.' "
Act 13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
So the Jews that were blind to this word are condemned for their spiritual blindness while the gentiles with open hearts and open minds were receiving the Word and gaining their salvation.
Some people are destine to walk in darkness because of the hardness of their hearts and unfortunately there is nothing apart from prayer that we can do, the rest is up to God and we just have to trust in His judgment of all things before Him.
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