David Bahn – Reflections

My intention is to put together a photographic portfolio titled, Can I Get a Witness?  I want to highlight the way once-living trees can give witness to events that happened during the time that they were alive. Whether it is disease, chain saw, storm or simply the natural circle of life, they all bear witness to a history of their own.

Paul’s witness is significantly different. His is a living witness. He is very much alive at this point. And that, in spite of the plans and schemes of Paul’s enemies. But he is very much alive – protected by Felix, Festus, and now Agrippa. There will come a time when Paul will not be protected. He will give up his life as a martyr of the Christian faith. But for how he is alive.

Every witness has a “before” and an “after.” And as Paul recounts his before he does so at the earliest stages of his life. He recounts his life as a faithful Jewish youth. He does not – at this time – mention his circumcision although he does so when he makes his defence in Jerusalem at the temple. But he does set all of this within the context of the Jewish faith. His witness is two-fold. It’s all about Jesus as the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament. It’s also all about the resurrection of Jesus. The first validates Jesus’ ministry. The second testifies to Jesus’ identity as the Son of God.

Sometimes people make much of dramatic conversions and lives of profligate immorality and ungodliness. It’s almost as though a person has to have lived an extremely sinful life in order to have a testimony.

Few of us have such a lifestyle to brag about – even if it is to brag about how Jesus changed our lives. All of us, however, have something to say about Jesus. It might be a Bible passage that is particularly meaningful. There are special accounts of Jesus’ miracles that we can point to. A prayer answered. A touch of God’s grace and peace. It’s not up to us to fabricate amazing stories or dramatic transformations. It can be as simple as, “I used to believe…but now I realize Jesus…” That is a true living testimony worth sharing.

A drug cartel boss was recently captured. Evil thwarted – at least for a while. A sting operation netted a human trafficker. Evil thwarted. A police raid netted a trove of documents detailing organized crime’s financial dealings. Crime bosses were sent to prison. Evil thwarted. Undercover agents intercepted communications about a pending terrorist attack. Arrests were made. Evil thwarted.

It just doesn’t seem to happen often enough. We pastors were talking today at our circuit meeting about crime. One person said, “Crime doesn’t pay.” Another said, “Crime does pay.” Too often it does.

Embezzlement, tax evasion, or terrorist plots are truly evil; not to mention human trafficking. And rather than try to compare those things to what is happening here, I want to celebrate when evil is thwarted in any arena.

The implications in the case of Paul’s imprisonment and the plot to kill him are far-reaching. Not only is his safety at stake, but the spread of the Gospel could be seriously set back if Paul’s enemies succeed in their plots. But their evil plans are thwarted first by Felix, then Festus, and now Agrippa stands in the way of those who want to see Paul silenced at all costs. They may not know they are agents of God. But they are. Paul will be saved from evil’s plans. Evil thwarted.

Any time evil is thwarted the implications go far beyond the immediate befit of those saved from evil’s plans. Certainly, the people who will not be subject to human trafficking are rescued when the traffickers are caught. And when fewer drugs hit the streets our children and grandchildren are better for it. But consider the far-reaching impact of drug addiction, or human trafficking. Think about the financial ruin of those who are robbed of their retirement savings.

If one is not robbed of his retirement savings, yet doesn’t hear the Gospel, is not called to faith in Jesus, and brought into the fellowship of the redeemed, the gain is for nothing. And what if a person sells drugs and is caught, but learns about Jesus in prison? No matter what may happen to him from there, the blessings of the Gospel echoes through eternity.

Evil will always collapse under its own weight. And when evil is thwarted we can rejoice that God has good things in store for us through his Son. Jesus and his eternally-good plans will not be thwarted.

What do Michael Jackson, Johnny Depp, Bruce Willis, George Harrison, and Stephen King have in common? They all have cameo appearances in various movies. They show up as a shopkeeper, an alien, or as themselves. In and out in a few minutes, or seconds. People enjoy seeing these – at least I do when I see one of the 12 people I can name in one of these films. In fact it seems some of the movies are actually written to set up these cameos.

But notice this. Paul is spoken of throughout these verses but never really makes an appearance. He is brought in. But Festus does all the speaking. King Agrippa and Bernice are there, but the king has only one line. And this guy is a significant leader. Herod Agrippa II was a member of the Herodian dynasty, a line of rulers with strong ties to the Roman Empire. Agrippa II was the son of Herod Agrippa I (who is mentioned in Acts 12) and the great-grandson of Herod the Great, who ruled during the time of Jesus’ birth. This is no lightweight. No matter. Festus will hog the limelight. It seems he can’t help himself.

But there is much more going on here than Festus’ posturing and Paul’s waiting in the wings. King Agrippa will play a pivotal role in getting Paul to Rome. He doesn’t have to say much because he is king. But he will have much to say as this saga unfolds. All this is to set up some important dialogue between Paul and Agrippa, and Paul’s continuing missionary work.

There is another not-even-a-cameo Actor involved in this story. Jesus’ name is mentioned, but in passing. It’s almost a throw away comment about, “certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.”

But Jesus isn’t waiting in the wings to be brought on stage. He has had center stage. His prop was a cross. His exit was to a tomb. But his ultimate Prop is an empty tomb, and his final exit is to the right hand of God.

Paul will make more than a cameo appearance as this episode unfolds. But his appearance – even as it continues through his long and eventful travel to Rome – is not eternal. Jesus’ ultimate appearance will be forever, and every tongue will confess his lordship and reign for all eternity. His final appearance will be The Starring Role, no mere cameo.

People are falling all over themselves congratulating each other. Or clamoring for each other’s places of honor. That’s what I see happening in this account. Festus and Agrippa are enjoying their mutual admiration society meeting. Can’t you just hear it? Luke records the scene:

“So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. ²⁴ And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us,…”

Now he’s schmoozing with all these honorific people. Notice, “all who are present…” Earlier Festus had thrown Felix under the bus. “There is a man left prisoner by Felix,” he says. In other words, it’s not my fault. But now Agrippa asks to see Paul and Festus says, “Tomorrow you shall.” I can almost hear Festus’ glee. He is so happy to be able to provide something to the king. 

Compare that to the manner in which Jesus – King of the Universe, King of kings, the First and Last – behaves with his disciples and before Caiaphas, Pilate, and King Herod. Humility. Washing feet. Keeping silent before his accusers. Refusing still to play Pilate’s game. Knowing and believing he will One Day have The Last Word.

I’m not much for pomp and circumstance – with two exceptions. One was when our son was promoted to an officer in the Navy. The most powerful moment was when our youngest son gave Tim his first salute. A hand shake later, along with a palmed silver dollar, and the deed was done. The other pomp and circumstance that I’m all in for is when a soldier is buried. The bugle plays taps. Seven rifles fire three rounds each for the 21 gun salute. Those I can get behind. And one more…a beloved pastor and church leader dies and the clergy form an honor guard for the family and casket to pass from the church to the hearse.

I imagine the day of Christ’s return when every knee will bow to him. I imagine how the kings of the earth casting down their golden crowns before him. I imagine the glorious scene witnessed by John in Revelation 7:10, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” That’s no game of thrones. That’s true glory. It belongs to God alone. We all do well to remember that.

Just yesterday, I attended the second of three installations of pastors in churches in our area who have been calling a pastor. Next Sunday, I will attend a third. All of this within the last two months. This is quite a relief, for I was, for a while working with 10 congregations just in my area that were seeking pastors. It appears that # 4 is on the horizon. And there are pastors in six of those ten congregations.

The Call Committees in those churches pray over the list of pastors, seeking to discern who best would fit in their congregation. Once they have determined who to call, the have a vote of the congregation to extend a Divine Call to their chosen candidate. Then they wait. Will he, or not? Will he accept the Divine Call and come to serve as our pastor? Or will he choose to stay at the congregation at which he is currently serving? He prays, talks with his wife and family, his leaders, and his colleagues. He prays some more. Then he announces his decision. Until he does, we wait for word from him. No matter what he decides, there is usually some degree of disappointment in either his church or the one who is calling him.

I think of this as I stumbled upon this comment of Festus, about the dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. And I thought about the waiting of the disciples on that first Saturday and Sunday after Jesus had been crucified. Was he or wasn’t he alive? The women told them he was alive. Jesus, himself, had told them he would be killed and be raised from the dead on the third day. But they had not seen him for themselves. Was he or wasn’t he alive?

I also thought about the ongoing mission of God through Paul. Festus had his doubts. He wasn’t sure Jesus had risen from the dead – not by any means. But it seems, also, that he wasn’t sure he hadn’t been raised. There is a lot hanging on that balance of life and death. If Jesus is alive that would mean something. He would have to reckon with the message Paul had been sharing with the people there.

All that puts into perspective the challenges and waiting we must do today. Whether it’s waiting for the results of a pregnancy test, (or a COVID test!), waiting to learn about a doctor’s diagnosis, or waiting to see if your wayward daughter is going to show up before 3 AM tomorrow morning: we are all waiting for something. But as we wait, we can remember that the tomb is empty. We can be sure of the eternal outcome of all of life. We can rejoice in God’s faithfulness, love, grace, and salvation. For Jesus has been raised. He is alive. Our salvation has been won. Our eternity is secured.

Tonight I will send this prayer to one of the congregations I am helping through the Call Process. We pray every night at 9 PM. Another call committee sends their prayer text “Amen” at 8. You are more than welcome to pray it with me at whatever time you wish.

Merciful and loving Father, we praise you for the hope we have in your Son, Jesus Christ. He has won the victory over sin and death. He has triumphed over Satan. He has saved us and given us a living hope, through his resurrection from the dead. We look to you for a senior pastor who will lead us and serve you so that we may celebrate and share your word of hope. Guide us as we consider the men on this list. Bless us with patience, grace, unity, courage, and joy in this process. Give us your wisdom and guide us to the one you know to be our next senior pastor; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

I’m in charge of trees. And I’m going to see to it that you plant 24 3 inch caliper trees on your property. We were over a barrel. We couldn’t move forward with our building project unless she signed off on it. And whether or not she was being unreasonable had nothing to do with anything. She was in charge of trees. There is much more to this story, but suffice it to say we planted 24 trees. Three inch diameter tree trunk trees. Never mind we had just the previous year planted 50 saplings on our church property in Arlington, Texas. She was in charge of trees.

Some people throw around their weight. Others don’t want to make any decisions. They want to pass the buck on up the chain. So nothing gets done until the chain comes to an end. Passing the buck is a favorite activity for politicians and bureaucrats.

This is what is happening with Paul. He is held prisoner by people who won’t make a decision. They won’t either let him go, or send him back to Jerusalem with his accusers. The former is a sad impediment to Paul’s continuing mission work. The latter is an inaction that protects Paul from the Jews’ plans to ambush and kill him.

Paul is stuck in the middle of all this, seemingly out of the game. But there are hints of God’s influence all over this saga. Their refusal to send Paul back with the Jewish leaders protects Paul. Their sending for Paul to hear his defense is an opportunity for Paul to give witness to God’s work in his life. Their posturing reminds us that lines of governmental authority and accountability may serve the cause of the gospel.

God works through means. Sometimes those means are obvious: Word and Sacrament. Other times it is more subtle: government, regulations, laws, and policies. Just because we can’t see what God is doing doesn’t mean he’s not doing anything. God is at work. Whether it’s Festus, Felix, or King Agrippa, God is at work. That applies even to the tree lady in Arlington. She played a role in God’s work which we may never fully understand.

Next time you’re stymied by bureaucratic red tape or unreasonable regulations. Keep in the mind God’s work is seen most clearly through the eyes of faith. I can’t help but think of Caiaphas, Pilate, the Jewish leaders, and the mob calling for Jesus’ crucifixion. God was profoundly at work throughout that whole ordeal.

I’ve been doing a lot of driving in Houston traffic these days. Between regular trips to Friendswood as I serve as Acting Senior Pastor there, and travel to meetings and gatherings for church business and entertainment, I’ve gotten to know the many facets of the Houston traffic grid. Let’s just say I’m glad I don’t commute to downtown Houston on a regular basis. A few times a week is enough for me. And I’ll do anything to avoid going through downtown. Almost anything.

I am – at the same time – working on being patient with other drivers. Get me behind the wheel and my speech filter flies out the window. Gone with the wind. I’m not given to expletives. But I am very loose with my criticisms of other drivers. “Get going!” “What are you doing?!?!” “Are you serious??!?!” “For crying out loud!” Just a few. With just cause in my opinion.

Whether it’s checkerboarding through the traffic flow, acting like a NASCAR driver, tailgating, or cutting me off without a signal: there are many rude and reckless drivers out there. And I’m working on my patience with them. I really am. Breath deep. It takes patience.

So here Paul is under the protection of Felix for days on end. Perhaps we would call it protective custody. But the fact is that he is not traveling to new places, sharing the gospel with new people – Jews or Gentiles. He’s at a stand still. His mission is on hold as far as we can see.

But maybe we don’t see things as we should. God’s mission is ongoing. And there are seasons of productive work and times of rest and waiting. And just because we’re resting, God is not. He who watches over Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps (cf. Psalm 121:4). God can run the universe without us. He may put us on the sidelines for a time. But even in those times when God is not at work through us he is at work in us. I suppose God was working on Paul’s heart and mind.

Maybe his friends needed an opportunity to serve Paul. Perhaps those in charge of Paul needed to see a man of God willing to suffer for the sake of Christ in a way different manner than they would have. In any case it must have tested Paul’s patience. So I am reminded of the need for patience. And key to that is realizing that God is in control of all things, and at work in and through me at all times. Who knows how my kind and patient demeanor might actually bless a fellow commuter who is in a hurry, late for work, or anxious about a loved-one and on the way to the hospital.

Patience is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Come, Holy Spirit, come. Fill my heart with patience!

I was sharing my experiences of serving as a chaplain at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. I was serving there in connection with a quarter of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). CPE is designed to offer pastors and other pastoral ministry servants learning experiences to sharpen their pastoral care skills. It involves lots of visits in a clinical setting, together with group feedback sessions. I was part of an interesting group of men and women. One was a Roman Catholic pastoral care minister. Another was a Baptist pastor. Still another was a liberal Methodist minister. None saw ministry or pastoral care the way I did.

I learned a lot from those folks. But sometimes I became defensive. My understanding of Scripture, God, and pastoral care were often challenged and sometimes attacked. As I shared some of those experiences with a colleague, admitting that I was perhaps a bit defensive, he offered this cogent observation: “Sometimes you need to be defensive.” A simple truth that encouraged me and helped me put things in perspective.

Being overly defensive is not healthy or helpful. But there are times.

Paul was right in defending himself from the false charges of his enemies. These were not just his enemies. They were enemies of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They wanted to kill Paul. They wanted to thwart the spread of the gospel message. That’s an appropriate time to speak up for yourself. Paul will defend himself all the way to Caesar.

There will come a time when Paul’s defense will crumble. According to early Christian tradition and historical accounts, Paul was executed in Rome under the reign of Emperor Nero, likely around 64-67 AD during a period of intense persecution of Christians.

Paul’s martyrdom was a reflection of another. Jesus did not defend himself when he was accused before Pilate. Paul’s death was testimony to the power of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus knew he would lay down his life as the once and for all sacrifice for the sins of the world. He also knew he would take his life up again. And so he did. When Paul encountered the resurrected Jesus it changed his life.

In whatever ways we might face accusations and danger, we can remember that Jesus is our sure defense. He was there for Paul. He’ll be there for you.