The Holy Spirits Reception
Acts 21:14-18
Paul, having received the Holy Spirits dispatch from Ephesuss elders, bore the fruit of reconciliation through the Spirits resolution. Though resolving to kill for oneself breeds animosity between all, resolving to die makes peace. And so on the very first Sunday of the year, the Lord assures us He will receive those who go forth in His name. Let us think of the Holy Spirits reception.
First, it is because Paul goes up to Jerusalem.
Pauls coworkers and disciples urged him not to go to Jerusalem, but because it was a community that always shared and asked, they came to understand Pauls position. Pauls resolution may have looked reckless and stubborn, but Paul had full faith that his resolution would only see the Lords will come to pass. Following Gods will, and not the currents of the world in all its evil and vulgarity, is what God wants for us. However, going up to Jerusalem for the Word, knowing shackles and torment await, is not an easy path. That is why 'we' is so important. The Jews, with their pride in being Gods chosen people and prejudice against the Gentiles, scorned even the Gentiles money the famine was an opportune moment to spread the Word. That is, the one reason for delivering the Gentiles offerings is to earn the approval of the Jerusalem church that the Word spread in the Gentile churches was the same as that in Jerusalem.
Second, an unexpected crew of disciples accompany them.
Paul and co start their way 'after this.' This means Paul stayed several days with Philip after making amends. Perhaps there was anticipation, but eventually only Pauls people prepared for the journey. Wisdom is packing your bags: acknowledging we are pilgrims with a home to go up to. Trials lead to missions that have us equipping for the journey ahead. Such wealth as that of Philip weighs down the uphill passage to Jerusalem even embarking becomes difficult. But going up to Jerusalem requires not just the preparation of the mind but the physical luggage. It is then unexpected that some nameless disciples from Caesarea are moved by the Word Paul delivered and follow him. They bore the burden of accompanying Paul who had resolved in the Holy Spirit to meet tribulations, incarceration, and even death going up to Jerusalem. Amongst them is Mnason, a Grecian Jew from Cyprus and disciple since the Pentecost. As a member of the Jerusalem church, he was on good terms with the Caesarea church as well. He was also wealthy enough to host more than people. Paul would have been able to glean much from Mnason as they went to Jerusalem. In this way, we must also prepare for the members of our community: learn about them, pray for them, and obtain information so that we may lead them to salvation. It is also then that the Lord always receives people we do not expect. Just going up together for these disciples was such training that two thousand years from then, the record of Pauls escort lives on. Admitting that salvation is higher than oneself is necessary to carrying the cross and following the lead to help one another out.
I hope it will be another year where we cede our pride to help through concrete preparation in our communities to become the unlikely crew of disciples rather than the star of the show.
Third, we must accept the order of the land.
Verse 17s 'When we arrived' implies that finally they had reached Jerusalem, but without any delay despite the dangers awaiting. The brothers and sisters welcome Paul. However, not a single person of the Jerusalem church receives them, despite the risk to their lives they faced by entering. From this we must learn not to patronize but rather to acknowledge the authority of this land. The plural first person pronouns that have consistently appeared up to verse 18 vanish until chapter 27. Paul now carries the cross by himself. Because no one else shared it, Luke, the author, relegates the 'we's and 'us's for six chapters. The missionary journeys have concluded. No one can carry the cross in his stead. Mnason and the disciples share information and help, but the resolution to labor and bleed carrying the cross must come from oneself. The following day, Paul meets James and the elders. The expression that Paul 'went to see James' is the same one used to describe going into the temple. James, Jesuss brother, was not tormented at the time, but showed great miracles and was competent in his handling of heretic rhetoric he received absolute recognition as leader of the Jerusalem church. However, two thousand years on, we can see from the bible that greater work was done through Peter and Paul than James.
The following confession is from the community.
One member shared that she scolded her ninth grade son for his rock bottom scores, but the son rebuked that there were three people below him. She was baffled, but her husband pointed out that though the family was not well educated, their son was writing for the QTin book for teenagers and their older two kids had also written for it they brought much honor to the family. It was then that she capitulated, 'Sticking to the community is blessed we did nothing yet God let us move and everything that it must all be the grace of God.' This family had gone through so much, but this must be the Holy Spirits reception. They believed and had three children, each a writer for the QTin for teenagers, and the father is a writer for QTin. Surely they are the unexpected disciples.
I conclude. The Holy Spirit receives us because we go up to Jerusalem. Some unlikely disciples pack for the journey. What is important is to acknowledge the order of the land. It is these people that the Holy Spirit welcomes. The cross is resurrection and death is resurrection, so I hope that whatever events hit you, you shall know that the end is the beginning and rebuild from the depths of despair.
