Prison experience!

Acts 16:22-34

And the crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas.

Then the officials tore the clothes off Paul and Silas and ordered them to be whipped. After a severe beating, they were thrown into jail, and the jailer was ordered to lock them up tight. Upon receiving this order, the jailer threw them into the inner cell and fastened their feet between heavy blocks of wood.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a violent earthquake, which shook the prison to its foundations. At once all the doors opened, and the chains fell off all the prisoners. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he thought that the prisoners had escaped; so he pulled out his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul shouted at the top of his voice, “Don't harm yourself We are all here!”

The jailer called for a light, rushed in, and fell trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas. Then he led them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

They answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your family.” Then they preached the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in the house. At that very hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; and he and all his family were baptized at once. Then he took Paul and Silas up into his house and gave them some food to eat. He and his family were filled with joy, because they now believed in God.

Food for thought!

There is so much food for thought in today's Frist Reading. Let us look at some of it.

Have you ever thought that there could be joy and blessing in prison or in suffering or in hard times? Most of us have never served time in jail nor have we been locked up in prison. However, spiritually speaking, we have all been through what we might call «prison experiences» in life. Times when the Lord shut us up, in affliction, for His own purposes. Times when we wondered where He was and why He was doing this to us. You've been there, haven't you? May be some of you are there today! Wondering how you got here and when will it end. Wondering why, if God really loves you, these kinds of things are happening in your life.

In today's gospel reading, Jesus tells the disciples:

«Now I am going to the One who sent me. But none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' 6 Because I have said these things, you are filled with sadness. 7 "But what I'm about to tell you is true. It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Friend will not come to help you. But if I go, I will send him to you.» (John 16:5-11)

Jesus is telling them, «IT IS GOOD THAT I GO.» How can going away from your dear ones ever be a good thing? How can being locked in grief ever be a good thing? But it is so, says Jesus: «Unless I go away, the Friend will not come to help you. But if I go, I will send him to you.» He is talking of the Holy Spirit. Yes, sometimes sadness is good, is a blessing.

In the first reading, Paul and Silas were obediently serving the Lord when all of a sudden they found themselves in trouble: The crowd joined the attack against Paul and Silas. The judges ordered that Paul and Silas be stripped and beaten. They were whipped without mercy. Then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received his orders, he put Paul and Silas deep inside the prison. He fastened their feet so they couldn't get away.  If you haven't been there yet, you will be some day! The first question is «Why?» The answer is «Why not?» Didn't Jesus warn us last week: «A servant is not more important than his master. If people hated me and tried to hurt me, they will do the same to you.»

Paul and Silas were «thrown» into the prison. The word «thrown» means being casting away something without regard to where or how it lands. They were just tossed into the prison without any care for their well-being. The jailer then «put Paul and Silas DEEP inside the prison», where it would have been dank, dark, dirty and discouraging. Yes, there are times in life when the Lord «shuts us up» in some prison. When this happens, it is never pleasant! During those times, it may seem that He doesn't care what we are facing. It may seem that He has just tossed us aside without any regard for our wellbeing. Such is not the case! But if you remember that «in all things God works for the good of those who love him» (Rom. 8:28), then you can and should rejoice as you sit in your jail. «About midnight Paul and Silas were praying. They were also singing hymns to God.»

We may wonder how anyone could praise the Lord while sitting in a prison. Did you know that our attitude determines our altitude? That our attitude in any circumstances determines our altitude in those circumstances? That outside influences don’t determine our happiness or success, rather it is how we react to those influences – good or bad, that is most important? Paul and Silas were in prison, but their attitude was free; a joyful heart in the midst of difficulty has the power to lose your bonds and make you free, even when you are still in the middle of that prison experience!

Instead of grieving over their imprisonment, Paul and Silas prayed. They rolled their burden onto the shoulders of the Lord. This is a valuable lesson for us today. When we are shut up in life's prison experiences, we need to learn to call upon the Lord, (Phil. 4:6; Matt. 11:28). Were Paul and Silas in pain? Yes! Were they scared? Yes! Were they uncomfortable and miserable? Yes! Still they did not allow their circumstances to defeat them. They went to God in prayer! That is what we need to do when we are locked away in one of life's prison experiences.

As they prayed, their attitude changed. Soon, their altitude was different; they were filled with praise and they began to sing songs. One of the surest ways to overcome your prison experience is to learn the secret of praising God in the midst of your pain; is to learn to sing in your pain; is to learn to laugh in your suffering; is to learn to relax. Anyone can praise God when all is well in their life! But, it takes massive faith to praise His name when the bottom falls out from under you! In fact, if you really want to gage the depth of your commitment to the Lord and your love for Him, just see how you react when the pressure is on in your life! That is where the real you is most clearly seen!

Did you notice, that while Paul and Silas were singing «The other prisoners were listening to them.» What a testimony Paul and Silas were making to the other prisoners! Remember this: the world is watching you as you go through your prison experiences of life! People care less about your joy when things are going well. But, just let tragedy come into your life, and the people are all eyes and ears! They want to see if what you have is as real in the valley as it is on the mountain! There is no better testimony to the world as when we are in hot soup.

During World War II, Dr. Victor Frankl was imprisoned by the Nazis because he was a Jew. His wife, children, and parents were all killed in the Holocaust. At one point, the prison guards cut his wedding band off his finger. Frankl said to himself, «You can take away my wife and children, you can strip me of my clothes and my freedom, but there is one thing no person can ever take away from me-and that is my freedom to choose how I will react to what happens to me.» That is the secret to successfully surviving the prison experiences of life. (If you can, I recommend you to read his book: «Man's search for meaning».