The Lord Stood Near

THE LORD STOOD NEAR

a prayer to open

Holy Spirit, come. Center my heart.

Fill my mind. Guide my steps.

They yelled, threw off their coats, and tossed handfuls of dust into the air.

The commander brought Paul inside and ordered him lashed with whips to make him confess his crime. He wanted to find out why the crowd had become so furious. When they tied Paul down to lash him, Paul said to the officer standing there, “Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been tried?”

When the officer heard this, he went to the commander and asked, “What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen!”

So the commander went over and asked Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”

“Yes, I certainly am,” Paul replied.

“I am, too,” the commander muttered, “and it cost me plenty!”

Paul answered, “But I am a citizen by birth!”

The soldiers who were about to interrogate Paul quickly withdrew when they heard he was a Roman citizen, and the commander was frightened because he had ordered him bound and whipped.

The next day the commander ordered the leading priests into session with the Jewish high council. He wanted to find out what the trouble was all about, so he released Paul to have him stand before them.

Gazing intently at the high council, Paul began: “Brothers, I have always lived before God with a clear conscience!”

Instantly Ananias the high priest commanded those close to Paul to slap him on the mouth. But Paul said to him, “God will slap you, you corrupt hypocrite! What kind of judge are you to break the law yourself by ordering me struck like that?”

Those standing near Paul said to him, “Do you dare to insult God’s high priest?”

“I’m sorry, brothers. I didn’t realize he was the high priest,” Paul replied, “for the Scriptures say, ‘You must not speak evil of any of your rulers.’”

Paul realized that some members of the high council were Sadducees and some were Pharisees, so he shouted, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, as were my ancestors! And I am on trial because my hope is in the resurrection of the dead!”

This divided the council—the Pharisees against the Sadducees—for the Sadducees say there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, but the Pharisees believe in all of these. So there was a great uproar. Some of the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees jumped up and began to argue forcefully. “We see nothing wrong with him,” they shouted. “Perhaps a spirit or an angel spoke to him.” As the conflict grew more violent, the commander was afraid they would tear Paul apart. So he ordered his soldiers to go and rescue him by force and take him back to the fortress.

That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, “Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.”

After nearly being killed by his people and then stretched out for flogging by the Romans, Paul was released to stand trial before the Sanhedrin. He found little relief there, of course, and was accused of blasphemy and carried off by the Romans for his own safety. Although he felt compelled by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem, this series of events must have tested his strength and conviction. Imagine what must have happened in Paul’s heart when in the midst of this trial, Jesus came and “stood near” (23:11, NIV) him as an act of compassion and love. Jesus spoke words of encouragement and affirmation to him, assuring him that he would live to share his testimony in Rome, the very center of the civilized world at the time. Today, by his Spirit, Jesus is with us, guiding, encouraging, and giving us strength. Our part is to believe he is with us and ask him to open our eyes to the ways he stands near in our most significant struggles.

• Read this passage again. What word or phrase stands out to you? Sit quietly, reminding yourself that you are in God’s loving presence, and ask him to show you how that word or phrase connects to your life.
• Reflect on your most trying time so far. As you look back on that time, who stood near you? What acts of compassion and love were directed toward you? In what ways did God come near you during that time?
• The apostle John wrote, “This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus” (1 John 4:17, NIV). Who in your life is going through a trial? Ask God how you can be Jesus to that person, standing near and speaking encouragement and affirmation to them.

Father, thank you for the gift of your presence, whether by your Spirit or in and through others. Thank you for the ways you have stood near me in my past trials and for the assurance of your presence in all future trials and triumphs. I want to be Jesus to those around me—those going through great difficulty and trial. Open my eyes to those in need, and fill me with your compassion so I will have the desire and strength to stand with them. May your love prevail on earth as it does in heaven. Amen.