Week 31—Wednesday Mark 5:5-10
Mark 5:5-10
“THESE . . . SERVANTS OF THE MOST HIGH
GOD . . . PROCLAIM . . . SALVATION”
The complete realism of Paul was never more clearly seen than in this passage:
As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by soothsaying. She followed Paul and us, crying, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” And this she did for many days. But Paul was annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them . . . before the rulers . . . and . . . magistrates. (Acts 16:16-20)
And then the riots, the beatings and imprisonment.
Why did Paul refuse to accept the witness of this soothsaying slave girl? What she told was the truth: “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” It was the truth—they were servants of the Most High God, and they were proclaiming the way of salvation. Then why didn’t Paul gratefully accept this auxiliary witness? Well, for one thing—it wasn’t a witness—the girl was not accepting it for herself. She was telling others to accept it, but she left herself out of it. It was the Word become word, and not the Word become flesh. So Paul stopped this unreality though it was seemingly in his favor.
Suppose we would stop all this unreal support of our churches and our Christian movement—unreal because it is only verbal, not vital, giving lip praise and not life support—what would happen? Trouble, upset, maybe resentment would become imprisonment. But Christianity would learn to sing again as Paul and Silas did at midnight in prison, and we would have power to convert jailers and the movement would be true to itself. And hence full of power. The Word should become flesh or be silent! That would be a cleansing attitude for the Christian movement to take!
O Lord Jesus, you showed reality and required it. Save us from unreal words that come from no depths of reality and hence reach no depth of reality in others. Make us real in thought, word, and deed. In your dear name we ask it. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: No wrong source witness for me, however true.