Philippians 1.13 As
a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone
else that I am in chains for Christ.
Soldiers aren’t always at war, sometimes they are just
at their duty-station. Such was the case for the Praetorian Guard in Rome where
Paul penned his missive to the Church at Philippi. And soldiers talk, and stand around some when
there are no officers present. Sometimes they smoke, always they talk ‘shop’,
and always, they cuss. (I’ve heard that referred to as “Military Creole”)
Soldiers, surely, would rather be fighting, that’s what
they’re trained for. But when there is no war, or no battle, they pass the time
like the rest of us do. And the Roman guard charged with taking care of St.
Paul were soldiers who talked, smoked, and cussed. The shop-talk they shared
was somewhat about this Jewish guy who seemed to share a lot about his
experiences with another Guy, a named Jesus. Their prisoner kept calling Him the Son of God. Weird, huh?
And when the talk came around as to why Paul was in
chains, they all knew he was chained for believing in Jesus. Everyone in the
detachment knew because rotating guard shifts exposed them to St. Paul and his gospel.
The last place – I think – Paul wanted to be was in
chains under Roman guard; he’d rather’ve been preaching the Gospel in some new
place, or teaching in the churches about the glory of God in the face Christ.
But there he was, chained, under guard, held as a criminal and dissident; and
all the guards came to know Paul’s story: Paul
was in chains for Christ.
I imagine Paul shared the gospel a time or two – or twenty-two.
I imagine there was more than one guard that came to Christ because of Paul’s
chains for Christ. The Romans knew how to treat political prisoners but this
guy Paul was different. He had confidence. He had assurance. And he spoke of
heavenly things like they grew on trees. He didn’t talk about becoming a god – but
he spoke of knowing God, and living as a true child of the True King. That just
may have garnered some attention of these creole-speaking military men.
Which leads me to this question: is it obvious to others that
you and I are in chains for Christ? In whatever it is happening in our lives, are
we able to: “…press on toward the goal
for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”? (Philippians
3.14) Do our circumstances confine
us, or do they define us to speak the
truth about Jesus to those who know us? Or, about us?
Paul thought of his circumstances thus: As a result, it has become clear throughout
the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.
Paul, in prison, displayed Jesus, and as a result a whole bunch of people
became aware of Jesus. Are we willing and courageous to allow God even to pen
us up in confinement in order to get us to sing like songbirds to others about
His Glory, and His Son?
Father, as I embark
on my next leg of the journey my hope and prayer is this: As a result, it has
become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am where
I am for Christ. Give me grace, light, and the freedom to share who You are, how
good You are – and the glorious gift of Jesus – amen
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