A Glimpse of Paul's Heart

 

I've read the book of Acts more times than I can count. Yet, as I studied today, I saw something I'd never noticed before. Paul was a compassionate, caring man. The evidence is in Chapter 20, verses 13 through 38. The Apostle is nearing the end of his third missionary journey, for God's Holy Spirit is compelling him to press toward Jerusalem.
       If you've followed Paul's journeys, you've noticed that he likes to revisit the towns and villages where he's ministered before. He doesn't plant a church and then leave it to flounder under the enemy's attacks. If he can't visit in person, he sends emissaries with letters to encourage and edify the saints.
       He had spent several years with the Christ-followers of Ephesus. This passage makes it clear the Ephesians held a special place in Paul's heart. Because he must hasten to Jerusalem, he passes by Ephesus but called the church elders to meet him in Miletus. There he summarizes his work and witness among the Ephesians, saying that he served the Lord "with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews." (ESV, v. 19)
       He proceeds to let them know what the Holy Spirit is telling him--that "imprisonment and afflictions await me." (V. 23) I think I hear a catch in his voice as he says, in verse 25, "I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again." We know he had travailed in tears on their behalf. Surely there were tears here, both in the eyes of the Apostle and in the elders.
       In Verse 31, he again gives evidence of his tender heart toward these brothers and the body of believers whom they represent when he warns them to be alert, "remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears."
       The passage ends in a tearful scene, as they gather round to embrace Paul and kiss him.
       I'm a crybaby. There. I admit it. I cry when I'm happy. I cry when I'm sad. I even cry when I'm mad. Any strong emotion will elicit tears. Believe me, I had a hard time making through school. Perhaps that's why this passage touched my heart so much. (Yes, I'm a little wet around the eyes even now.) The Bible portrays Paul as a devout man (even when he was devoutly wrong), a hard-working, strong-willed, courageous, outspoken man, a Jew among Jews with a heart that embraces us Gentiles. But I'm so glad that our Heavenly Father also allows us to see his tender heart.

In Times Like These

Romans 13:12
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

Ephesians 6:10--20
Finally, brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel, in which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

"I'm world-weary. I'm tired of having to do battle almost daily against those who would dismantle and redefine this republic, those who relentlessly attack faithful Americans. I'm sick of the wickedness and perversion we see on every hand. I'm tired of pre-born babies' being slaughtered because they are an inconvenience to the mothers." Several people have expressed these sentiments to me in recent days, and I understand them. As I send out letters to Mr. Obama, senators, congressmen, and corporate leaders, I grow tired of the need to do so. Yet, for the sake of others, I must.

Romans 13:12 reminds us that, while we now live in a very dark place, we should put on the armor of light. We know that this refers to Jesus Christ, because His Word declares that He is the Light of the world; He is the light prophesied in Isaiah. As His disciples, we are to reflect Him to the world. Putting something on is a deliberate act. We don't haul ourselves out of bed in the morning and say, "Look at this. I'm all dressed for work. How did that happen?" This verse calls the light armor. While armor is defensive, it also protects the wearer as he or she charges into the fray. Paul would know about such things, because he was an officer in the front line of the King's troops.

"What does it mean to you to 'put on the whole armor of God'?" said a dear friend recently. Ephesians 6:10--20 is a familiar Scripture that many of us have memorized, at least in part. I notice several things about these verses.

God warns us about the enemy, and it is not a person or a group of people. The enemy is the same old serpent Satan. We are so used to identifying the enemy differently, aren't we? I want to say, "This man, with his hyper-liberal beliefs, those abortionists, these people who would redefine family, that group that would tax us into socialism, that would commit high treason against our Constitution and nation--they are the enemy, but they are not, according to these verses. As our God is One God; our enemy is one enemy. I choose to serve Yahweh, but Satan has his workers of iniquity who practice "spiritual wickedness in high places." While we must be prepared to do what we can, the real battle is in the heavenlies (the high places), because we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. This seems to be an oxymoron. Prepare for a battle that only Jesus Christ can win, indeed, did win on Calvary.

Again dressing for battle is a deliberate act. Paul, inspired by God, names parts of the Roman soldiers' uniform and repeatedly tells us to stand. The armor helps us with that mandate. Consider each part.

• "...having your loins girt about with truth...": Isaiah 11:5 identifies this priestly girdle as a symbol of the Messiah, Who says, "I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life."

• "...having on the breastplate of righteousness...": The breastplate protects the soldier's heart. Notice how personal this is. It's your breastplate; I have my own. Yours is made to protect your heart. Mine is to protect my heart. Dictionary.com defines righteousness as being "morally upright, without guilt or sin." We know how to acquire that position before God, and it's only through Jesus Christ as we repent and confess our sin.

• "...your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace...": This refers to the Roman soldier's sandals that were made to be tough, protecting the feet and supporting the ankles. When the soldier would walk in rocky, thorny, hot places, his feet would be protected. What are your rocky, thorny, hot places? The peace that Jesus gives will protect you.

• "...the shield of faith...": The Roman soldier would soak his thick leather-covered shield in water before going into battle, so that, when the enemy fired burning arrows, they would hit the shield, hiss, and drop harmlessly to the ground. Keep the faith, Brother and Sister. Let your shield soak long in the Living Water.

• "...the helmet of salvation...": The helmet protected the soldier's head or mind. Remember the distinctive design of the Roman helmet? It clearly identified him as a Roman soldier. Our salvation through Christ should not only protect our minds but should also identify us as His own soldier as we work out our salvation in the daily.

• "...the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God...": A soldier is helpless without his weapon, and the Bible is a two-edged sword. A good soldier knew his sword well. No dust settled on it, either.
  

• "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit...watching...": Finally, we are to pray for one another, since we're not in the battle alone, to make supplication (humble, earnest prayer), and to watch with all perseverance. Dear ones, that means that we cannot give up. We cannot give in. We must continue, bearing in mind the nature of the real enemy and that the battle belongs to the Lord.

Brother Paul closes that portion of his letter to the Ephesians by requesting that they pray for him. He is likely writing from prison in Rome, but he continues to minister. To whom? To the recipients of his letters, to his fellow prisoners, to his jailers, and to any who would hear him.

I do notice two other things about this armor-donning passage. Since I doubt that the Roman soldier made a habit of sleeping with his armor on, sword in hand (unless he went to sleep on his watch, in which case his life would be forfeit), I think it's safe to say that the passage implies a daily putting on of the armor, an armor that protected only the front of his body. If he were to turn and run, he would be dead before he had taken a step.

Finally, Brothers and Sisters, please read I Thessalonians 4:13--5:24. Why? Because God, through Paul, says, "Wherefore comfort one another with these words." Be comforted, dear ones, and do not grow weary in well-doing, K.