4/20/10 Acts 28
Wrong Conclusions
Has there ever been a time in your life that you observed a particular action or event and made a conclusion from what you had witnessed? Did that conclusion prove to be true? There are certain people that are gifted with good insight. They are observant people who tend to make good judgments about people. Sometimes this comes through years of experience or working with people in their daily work. I believe one of the greatest things needed to be discerning is a listening ear and good theology. Even the best observers still can get their conclusions wrong. In this passage there is a group of people who draw a conclusion about an event, but then after nothing happened that they supposed would happen they made another conclusion which proved to be false also.
In Chapter 28 the passengers of the ship carrying Paul and 275 others had made it safely to land after a severe 14 day storm at sea. The island that they found safety was called Malta. Since this voyage had been slow and delayed by the weather it was now the beginning of winter and when everyone finally reached the shore the islanders prepared a fire. Paul also was helping gather sticks and when he laid them on the fire a viper came from the fire and bit Paul on the hand. The islanders understood this to be a sign of judgment on Paul concluding that he must have been a murder. They concluded that even though he had survived the shipwreck, justice would be served by this poisonous viper to take his life. The islanders knew exactly what to expect, Paul would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. When this did not happen they were amazed and made another wrong conclusion. They concluded that since Paul had not suffered any harm from the viper, then he must be a god.
Paul then goes on to heal the father of Publius who had a recurring sickness. When news spread among the islanders about this healing, others came to Paul seeking healing also. Before, during, or after these events of healing Paul probably had a lot of explaining to do concerning their conclusion of him being a god. This was not unfamiliar territory for Paul, he experienced people concluding him to be a god previously. Back in chapter 14 when Paul and Barnabas where on their first missionary journey they came to the city of Lystra and when Paul had healed a man who had never walked before the Lystraians concluded that the gods had come down and visited them. Paul and Barnabas had used that time to preach the gospel and tell the people to turn from their vain beliefs to the living God. Paul probably used this occasion in the same way to preach and teach them about the true and living God.
The instruction for you and I is to be careful to make judgments and conclusions about people concerning the events that impact them. We are so susceptible to error. We each have a limited view, where God has perfect perspective. Notice that I said we must be careful. We inevitably will draw conclusions and make judgment about the people around us, but there is a difference between being sensitive and dogmatic in our judgments. The more knowledge we gain about a certain person, episode or event the more firm we may become in our conclusion, but let’s not fall into the error of these islanders of making reactionary conclusions or the error of Job’s three friends who made poor judgments with poor theology.
Prayer: Father, guard my mind from making errors in judgment and give me sensitivity and insight into the people and events that surround them. I seek you and your knowledge that I may correctly understand You, your purposes, and ways. As I understand you better I will hopefully understand people and events that surround me better. I thank you that you know all things. I ask for opportunities to share my insights with others, not for people to look at me, but that your name may be exalted and people would seek you for understanding about themselves and the events that affect them, in Jesus name. Amen.