October 29

Acts 12:25 – 13:12
25 Then after completing their mission Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem and brought with them John, whose other name was Mark.
1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the ruler, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. 4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John also to assist them. 6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they met a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet, named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God. 8 But the magician Elymas (for that is the translation of his name) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 But Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, "You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 11 And now listen-- the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind for a while, unable to see the sun." Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he went about groping for someone to lead him by the hand. 12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.

The first missionary begins with the church discerning the call to Paul and Barnabas. The pattern of both individual and communal discernment has its roots in the early life of the church. It is important that individuals discern the gift of God which enables them to know the call to service. It is also important the church also confirm and support that call. The community is in prayer about this effort and the community sends the apostles out to serve.

Paul and Barnabas begin their mission work in the synagogues. The temple authorities may be persecuting the church in Jerusalem, but in these extended territories it is the synagogue that is the first focus of their proclamation. We have lost some of this understanding of mission. We understand the importance to reach out to other cultures with the gospel. It is often our local neighborhood that is neglected in the church’s outreach.

Bar-Jesus or “son of Jesus” is a fake. His opposition was a hindrance to Sergius Paulus ability to hear the word. Paul’s rebuke demonstrates the power of the gospel. The magician’s attempts to oppose the gospel are the result of his blindness to what God is doing. As a result he is now both spiritually and physically blind.

Reflection questions:
1. What role does the community of faith have in indentifying and calling the gifts of the Spirit in you into action?
2. How have you experienced the Spirit’s call? The call of the church community?
3. Paul identifies false prophet as making crooked the straight paths of the Lord. How might the church today make the simple gospel more complicated?