CLUELESS
Acts 28
INTRODUCTION Can I let you in a secret about my wife? You may not be like my wife, but she can’t stand snakes I am so afraid of them dead and alive. They remind me of Satan always wanted to bite you, trying to kill you somehow. Sneaking around where you can never see them. Hiding in places we never think of. Do you have any snakes in your life? Most people do. Trying to stir up trouble any way they can no matter who it hurts. Paul was faced with this when his ship wrecked. Let me see if we can use this text to clear up some misconceptions we may have about life.
I) GET A CLUE: HOW LIFE WORKS Even When God Is On Our Side
There is only one thing we can know for sure about the future: It will be far different than we expect (James 4:13-15). What we have been looking at for the past year is THE STORY: 30 Years in 28 Chapters (Acts 1:8-Acts 28). Now we have Paul as he travels from Caesarea to Malta with the shipwreck. Cold, wet, tired, hungry, but alive, just as Paul had prophesied. Now their first few hours on Malta provide for some interested reading, and for some clearing up of misconceptions about the faith.
1-2 Regarding Unbelievers (the barbarous people) These people were originally Phoenician colonists. The Greeks called all men “barbarians” who did not speak Greek (Romans 1:14). They were not “barbarians” in our sense of rude and uncivilized, but simply “foreign folk.” You know, like people from California! The word originally meant an uncouth repetition (barbar) not understood by others (1 Corinthians 14:11). Paul couples it with Scythian as people who are not Christian (Colossians 3:11). The original Greek word is translated different ways, but it simply means those who didn’t understand Greek or Latin. They were uncultured in the eyes of the world (the Roman world). But these barbarians showed unusual kindness. It was normally thought that Barbarians captured or killed or sold shipwreck victims. We laugh at the misconceptions that we see in the Bible, but how many of us carry our own fears about people outside our tightly wound little worlds?
The common misconception about unbelievers is two-fold, and covers both extremes. First, we often think that unbelievers are miserable without Jesus. These Maltans may not have spoke Greek, but they show extreme kindness and hospitality, not normal for miserable people. Secondly, unbelievers are sometimes thought to be completely happy. Sometimes we just forget what it is like to be lost. Our lives and culture revolves around the church, Christians, prayer, the Bible. Our worldview, thought processes, values, and priorities come from these sources. When it comes to unbelievers, we think they must be miserable, when most of the time they are not. The only thing that separates us from them is we know Jesus and they don’t. They practiced “not the kindness that happens every day.” Most people are not “wreckers” trying to take advantage of calamity. Sometimes we are clueless about the unsaved around us. We do not have to fear them, because greater is He… Trust in the dark what you see in the light.
II) GET A CLUE: A Short Season of Miraculous Power
3 Paul had a short Wait – a short Trip – and a short Leash. Regarding Snakes A viper (echidna). This is the word used by the Baptist of the Pharisees (Matthew 3:7; Luke 3:7) and by Jesus also (Matthew 12:34; 23:33). Some people have objected that there is little wood in the island today and no vipers, but the island now has 1,200 people to a square mile and snakes of any kind don’t have a chance. The snakebite was at first assumed as proof Paul was a criminal.
I’ve always wanted to preach about snake handling. Very early in the bible snakes are cursed as always being at enmity with man, although this probably has more to do with satan and man more so than the snake. We all know there are churches close to here that practice handling snakes. This doesn’t mean that everyone who takes up serpents is a believer, nor that every believer must take up serpents. Acts 28 is the interpretation is the application of Mark 16. We should all take up serpents! Just Kidding! These are simply signs. Notice that Paul didn’t play with it, or have a worship service, he just shook it off into the fire. That’s what we are supposed to do when we get struck by the enemy in the course of doing our life. SHAKE IT OFF! Don’t dwell on it, don’t make it an idol.
Paul’s fiery encounter with the serpent illustrates a different type of protection, storms can be overcome supernaturally. Paul being struck by the serpent on Malta has a dual application. The first is the natural line of sight. It is not a good idea to allow a snake to attach itself to you, especially if it is deadly poisonous. The second is the spiritual application, as serpents represent the devil in Scripture. The event itself is almost comical, as the native peoples saw a dual event in Paul’s latest peril. At first they thought God was striking him dead for his sins. Then when he survived unscathed, they began to worship him as if he were a deity. The episode of the viper reminds us of Paul’s experience in Lystra (Acts 14:6–18).
Hudson Taylor said that a man is immortal until God is done with him. If you are serving the Lord, and you happen to get bitten by a snake, God may preserve your life so that you can be a witness to His power. It also doesn’t say that you won’t die if you take up a snake that bites you. The general principle is that God can and does protect His servants, not that we should handle snakes. As Christians, we must constantly be alert, for either the serpent or the lion will attack us (2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Peter 5:8).
III) GET A CLUE: EVEN WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE A CLUE What to Do When You Don’t Have a Clue
When life throws you a curve, and you are clueless, take time to ask “What next?” not “Why this?”
4-5 Regarding Cosmic Justice Yet Justice (dikē). The Maltans spoke of Dikē (Justice) as a goddess. These people saw the snake and concluded that the sea spared Paul but “Justice” personified would not, hence the snake. They felt that bad things happened to bad people, and good things would happen to good people. They knew that Paul was a murder like Job’s friends new that he was a sinner, and needed to repent. Granted that in general terms, if you live like the bible says, life will be better for you (statistics bear this out), and in general that God blesses those that walk with him, and payment will be ultimately exacted from those who thumb their nose at God, there are times when this truth does not apply. In our scenario, Paul had been the only reason that they were all alive. Many times suffering enters the lives of the most faithful believers because the enemy hates you. It goes without saying that God knows that you will endure suffering well, and bring Him much glory and honor through it.
This is one of those areas of practical theology that needs balance. We don’t want to have a theology that resembles karma more than Jesus. Know that sometimes God can and does reward or chasten because of deeds done here on earth. But on the other hand, God’s justice is not always meted out in a way that we would describe as being fair on earth. It will be one day, all accounts will be settled, every wrong paid for, and every right rewarded. Be thankful that absolute justice is not carried out immediately. We serve the One True God whose justice never fails. And we must trust in that even when it seems like it is failing. God’s purposes doing things or refraining from doing certain things are wiser than our understanding of how we might settle scores. Remember that He is bringing all things to His desired end within the counsel of His will, even when we might be struggling with what has come our way. This is why we must be consistent with our lives, but not obnoxious with biblical truth, and be ready to remember the lesson of Acts: every crisis has an opportunity – find it & milk it (Acts 24:24-27; Philippians 1:12-14; John 21:19; 1 Peter 2:12).
CONCLUSION Friends, when it comes to your life, always do the right thing, not the expedient thing (1 Corinthians 10:13; 1 Peter 4:19). Remember that life isn’t always fair, even when God is on our side. We should also keep in mind that we are being watched, and we must use every opportunity to magnify Christ.
