Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today”, Friday, July 12, 2013

Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Friday, July 12, 2013 Read – Acts 14:8-20 From Iconium Paul and Barnabas travel on to two more towns in the province of Lycaonia – Lystra and Derbe. What makes these two towns interesting and peculiar is that they did not have a Jewish synagogue in either town. Where are Paul and Barnabas to go? The presence of a crippled man provides a way for them to engage the people. The story of Paul healing the crippled man in the city of Lystra sounds very much like the story of Peter and John healing the crippled man at the gate of the Temple in Jerusalem (Acts 3:1-8). In fact, when one lays the elements of the stories side by side they correspond almost exactly. The similarities between these two stories suggests that each has been modified by the other. Stories have a way of fitting into patterns when they are told over and over again. When we remember that some of these stories likely were passed on orally long before they were in written form, we begin to see how these two stories might begin to look alike. Perhaps it is also important for Luke to demonstrate that what Peter can do Paul can do. We noticed how Paul’s speech in Antioch was a lot like Peter’s speech at Pentecost. The story of Peter healing the cripple at the Temple follows the Pentecost speech. Here, Paul’s healing of the cripple at Lystra follows not far behind Paul’s first speech. Perhaps Luke has constructed the story in this way to show the similarities between Peter and Paul. The outcome of Paul’s healing of the cripple turns out very different than Paul and Barnabas might have imagined – and much to their dismay! Without a synagogue to begin with, Paul and Barnabas have only Greco-Roman Culture to deal with. And the people the story revert to that pagan culture. It may seem very strange to us that the people mistake Paul and Barnabas for Hermes and Zeus – two of the Greek gods. It is helpful for us to learn that the people of Lystra knew a mythological story of two old people who unknowingly provided hospitality to Hermes and Zeus and were rewarded for their kindness. The event is told in a book by a writer, Ovid, who wrote Metamorphoses. When we realize that the people already had this mythological story in their memories it is not unusual that they should have mistaken Paul and Barnabas as these gods – after Paul had miraculously healed a cripple and ordinary men can’t do that! Paul and Barnabas have a problem on their hands. How are they to deal with this? Paul tries his hand at preaching. But what is to be the content of the sermon? Without the Jewish background from which to begin Paul is stymied. His appeal is to God as creator – and of course he and Barnabas are only creatures like everyone else. Luke has consistently proclaimed that human beings are not worthy of worship. It was a mistake for Cornelius to worship Peter. Worshiping Paul and Barnabas is a mistake too. Paul’s proclamation does not work very well. He and Barnabas can barely stop the proceedings. And then the “unbelieving Jews” appear on the scene and a bad situation becomes a whole lot worse. Perhaps Paul and Barnabas would have been better off letting the people of Lystra worship them. Now they turn on the pair and begin to stone them – believing that they have succeeded in killing Paul. But somehow Paul survives the stoning – he commented about it himself in his letters. And then Luke tells us something unexpected – “disciples surround Paul and he got up and went back into the city” (Acts 14:20). Are we to suppose that somehow their presence is what revived Paul? Hardly, it seems. But perhaps Luke’s point is that even in a peculiar situation the gospel was received by some. Even the visit to Lystra was not without success. We will find out some time later that Paul’s most faithful co-worker, Timothy, was from Lystra.