Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“The next day we put in at Sidon; and Julius treated Paul kindly, and allowed him to go to his friends to be cared for.”
NL Daily Devotion for Wednesday, May 5, 2021
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Julius was Paul’s jailer. Paul was a prisoner, being transported to Rome where he hoped to appeal his case to the Emperor. When their ship docked at Sidon, Julius was like, “Cool. Go see your friends while we’re in town. Be back before we set sail.” Wait. What?
By then, I guess, Julius knew Paul pretty well, and was probably convinced that Paul was dead set on going to Rome and getting in the Emperor’s face about his unjust persecution. I imagine long talks between them on the ship about theology and church planting and religious tolerance, among other things. There was no question in Julius’ mind that Paul would come back to the ship.
I wonder if I would have come back. How easy it would have been to disappear in Sidon! How many people in how many places would have harbored Paul! Sure, he probably would never have been able to preach publicly again, but he could still write letters from hiding just as easily as he could from prison, right? I mean, why put himself at the mercy of a young and unpredictable emperor?
But Paul did so out of principle. He wanted to publicly state his case, in the hopes that it would move the Roman Empire to more religious tolerance and enforcement of such, thus helping all early Christians experiencing persecution. What actually happened is lost to history, though it’s suspected that Nero did eventually execute Paul. Could it have been avoided if Paul had fled Julius in Sidon? Sometimes we are called to make incredible sacrifices in the name of justice.
What am I willing to sacrifice in order to seek justice for others?
![1 Kings 17:1-16 [17-24], God’s Care for the Widow](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56b39b61ab48de92d991a40a/bf37035e-33d5-439f-a0d6-a68b02d0f1bc/24-11-03.jpg)
