As I was doing my school studies I came across a story that I have never really spent a lot of time with before. It is the story of Phillip and the Ethiopian Eunuch -- Here is the link. I have read this story before but have never given it much thought as to what it was teaching. When I spent some time with it and my study guide expanded on it, it was freshly revealed to me what it meant. I just thought it was something we could all learn to do a little better.
Let me set this up:
Phillip has just spread the new redemptive gospel of Jesus to a Samaritan (Non-Jewish) city for the first time in history. He is lead by the spirit to go down a certain road while traveling to another city. Meanwhile, there is this unnamed Ethiopian Eunuch who has just finished a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to worship God. Not that significant of a detail is it? Well, picture this... Jesus has recently been crucified, died, raised again, built up 11 disciples to start his church, they have expanded that church to at least over 5,000 people, Stephen was just martyred (the first Christian murdered for their faith), Saul has started the persecution of Christians on a big enough scale to cause most of them to flee Jerusalem in fear, and this Ethiopian has been in Jerusalem for a while and NO ONE has told him the story of Christ. I don't know about you, but I think it is odd that he has spent so much time at the temple worshiping God, but hasn't heard the story of Christ. One must ask, why?
To Jews, Ethiopians were dirty. Actually, to Jews, anyone who wasn't a Jew was considered dirty. But, Eunuchs were not even able to enter the temple beyond the outer courtyard even if they converted to Judaism. Even if he had to stay out of the temple, how was it that none of the members of the first Church spoke to him about Jesus in the courtyard? I am not accusing the Church of a failure since I wasn't there, I am simply raising a question. Was it because of fear of Saul's persecution? Maybe it was mere coincidence that he didn't hear. But what if it were the fierce prejudices in their society. Could it have been? Sure it could have.
For whatever reason he didn't hear the gospel the entire time he was in Jerusalem. But on his way home he was reading from the prophet Isaiah. Specifically he was reading Isaiah 53 : 7, 8 where it prophecies about Jesus being crucified. While reading this, the Holy Spirit prompts Phillip to go up to him. Phillip asks him if he knows what he is reading. The Ethiopian says that he can not understand unless someone teaches him, and asks of who the scripture is talking about. Phillip begins to tell him the story of Christ. They pass by a body of water and the Ethiopian becomes a Christian and is immediately baptized. Wow! The Holy Spirit prompted Phillip to reach out to someone that would normally be overlooked. And since Phillip responded, the Ethiopian became a follower of Christ. Amen!
How does this apply today? Christians are suppose to NOT be prejudice towards people. But, it is ramped in the church today. I have seen it. The person that is avoided on Sunday morning because of the way they look, or dress. The unwed mother that other parents tell there children to not talk to because they look down on them for their failure as if they themselves had never made a mistake. It is the faces that you see every Sunday, but never notice when they stop coming to church. Phillip listened to the Spirit telling him to talk to someone that most wouldn't think of talking to. If we only ever reach out to people that we approve of, then we are NOT doing what we need to as Christians. Let me say this again, if YOU are not reaching out to people that you do not know, or people who you would not normally talk to, then you are failing the Lord by what he said in Isaiah 56 : 3 - 8. Maybe the church needs more Phillips.
AG
Let me set this up:
Phillip has just spread the new redemptive gospel of Jesus to a Samaritan (Non-Jewish) city for the first time in history. He is lead by the spirit to go down a certain road while traveling to another city. Meanwhile, there is this unnamed Ethiopian Eunuch who has just finished a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to worship God. Not that significant of a detail is it? Well, picture this... Jesus has recently been crucified, died, raised again, built up 11 disciples to start his church, they have expanded that church to at least over 5,000 people, Stephen was just martyred (the first Christian murdered for their faith), Saul has started the persecution of Christians on a big enough scale to cause most of them to flee Jerusalem in fear, and this Ethiopian has been in Jerusalem for a while and NO ONE has told him the story of Christ. I don't know about you, but I think it is odd that he has spent so much time at the temple worshiping God, but hasn't heard the story of Christ. One must ask, why?
To Jews, Ethiopians were dirty. Actually, to Jews, anyone who wasn't a Jew was considered dirty. But, Eunuchs were not even able to enter the temple beyond the outer courtyard even if they converted to Judaism. Even if he had to stay out of the temple, how was it that none of the members of the first Church spoke to him about Jesus in the courtyard? I am not accusing the Church of a failure since I wasn't there, I am simply raising a question. Was it because of fear of Saul's persecution? Maybe it was mere coincidence that he didn't hear. But what if it were the fierce prejudices in their society. Could it have been? Sure it could have.
For whatever reason he didn't hear the gospel the entire time he was in Jerusalem. But on his way home he was reading from the prophet Isaiah. Specifically he was reading Isaiah 53 : 7, 8 where it prophecies about Jesus being crucified. While reading this, the Holy Spirit prompts Phillip to go up to him. Phillip asks him if he knows what he is reading. The Ethiopian says that he can not understand unless someone teaches him, and asks of who the scripture is talking about. Phillip begins to tell him the story of Christ. They pass by a body of water and the Ethiopian becomes a Christian and is immediately baptized. Wow! The Holy Spirit prompted Phillip to reach out to someone that would normally be overlooked. And since Phillip responded, the Ethiopian became a follower of Christ. Amen!
How does this apply today? Christians are suppose to NOT be prejudice towards people. But, it is ramped in the church today. I have seen it. The person that is avoided on Sunday morning because of the way they look, or dress. The unwed mother that other parents tell there children to not talk to because they look down on them for their failure as if they themselves had never made a mistake. It is the faces that you see every Sunday, but never notice when they stop coming to church. Phillip listened to the Spirit telling him to talk to someone that most wouldn't think of talking to. If we only ever reach out to people that we approve of, then we are NOT doing what we need to as Christians. Let me say this again, if YOU are not reaching out to people that you do not know, or people who you would not normally talk to, then you are failing the Lord by what he said in Isaiah 56 : 3 - 8. Maybe the church needs more Phillips.
AG
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