Daring to Dare
Opening Prayer
Lord, help me to be a person who acts when that is the right thing to do. Help me to risk and, in it, to trust You.
Read Acts 23:12-22
[12] The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. [13] More than forty men were involved in this plot. [14] They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. [15] Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.” [16] But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul. [17] Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.” [18] So he took him to the commander. The centurion said, “Paul, the prisoner, sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.” [19] The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, “What is it you want to tell me?” [20] He said: “Some Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him. [21] Don’t give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request.” [22] The commander dismissed the young man with this warning: “Don’t tell anyone that you have reported this to me.” Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What role does each person play in the story?In this part of Paul’s story three people were stirred by God to do something outside of their comfort zone. It would have been easy for Paul’s nephew, on hearing of a plot to kill his uncle, to think, “What can I do? I’m just a young man! Who’s going to listen to me?” (16). It would have been easy for the centurion to think, “Why should I follow the order of a prisoner and risk the anger of my commander by passing on a message that could be completely untrue?” (18). It would have been easy for the commander to think, “Why should I listen to this boy?” And, as we’ll see in tomorrow’s reading, “Why should I go to the trouble of using 470 soldiers just to save one troublemaker?” (23). The Irish philosopher and politician Edmund Burke famously said: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” It takes bravery to do what is right. And that’s scary.
Apply
If we were not afraid of something we would have no need to be brave. Purpose to be brave and do what is right.
Closing prayer
You are my wisdom and my strength. You will honor the one who honors You even if there is a cost in this life.
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