Let’s Make a Deal
Another of those "What is this world coming to" weeks. For example..........
I wonder if Paul or Silas ever asked that question? Perhaps. That familiar story of the conversion
of the Philippian jailer begins with Paul and Silas curing the madness of a young woman of the
city whose insanity had been used by some scam artists for their own personal gain. This slave
girl in Philippi was possessed by a snake spirit--a python spirit, as we read in the Greek. There
was the belief in those days that insanity was a strangely special gift from the gods, a tool which
they used to convey their messages to mere mortals; it was based on the idea that since the
insane girl had no mind of her own, the gods could put their own divine thoughts out on earth
through her or others like her. Thus, she was thought to have a gift for soothsaying or
fortune-telling, a most marketable commodity then and now. This girl would go into a trance
and then the demon would speak through her, predicting the future. This was extremely
profitable to her owners because in those days the Greeks and Romans did nothing important
without first hearing from an oracle. A commander going on a military campaign, an emperor
who was about to make an important decree, or an ordinary citizen making an important
decision would always consult an oracle to find out what the future held. So, this slave girl was
very valuable to her owners. We read, “and brought her owners a great deal of money by
fortune-telling.”
Paul and Silas were “going to the place of prayer” when they were set upon by this girl. And she
shouted, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be
saved.” What she was saying was true, but she kept this up for many days, causing a distraction
to the message Paul and Silas were trying to get across to the people. Pagan religions then
commonly referred to a Most High God, who was just one of many gods. This is a common
tactic of Satan, trying to confuse the issue and suggest that you can worship more than one god.
While, at first, this girl was an annoyance, her repeated rantings became a major hindrance.
Truth from the wrong source or delivered inappropriately can cause more damage than good.
Paul, like Jesus, didn’t want any publicity from demons and therefore cast the python spirit out
of this slave girl.
This clairvoyant slave girl was in double bondage. She was a slave of her masters as well as a
slave of the python spirit. She was a tool of the business corporation and a tool of Satan.
Obviously, since she was insane, she was not marketing herself or profiting from it. So when she
was healed, those SANE people who had taken advantage of her were suddenly out of business.
They did not like it, trumped up some charges against Paul and Silas, had them beaten and
thrown into jail. "What is this world coming to?" they might have asked.
Needless to say, they weren’t happy about being thrown in jail, but they made the best of the
bad situation, even to the extent of spending half the night singing hymns and praising God,
despite the fact that they were locked up in the deepest part of the dungeon, in stocks, chained in
an upright sitting position with a chain around the neck as well - so if you nodded off to sleep,
you would begin to choke.
Picture for a moment how many doors we walk through everyday. The bedroom, the bathroom,
the front door, the back door, the car, the garage, and bus doors. There are the school doors, the
office doors, the church doors as well as the elevator, revolving, and automatic doors. Our lives
seem filled with going in and out of doors. Some doors are open and left that way, some are kept
closed, some locked, and some unlocked.
So while behind locked, closed doors, Paul and Silas choose to commune and to suffer with the
other prisoners. About midnight they were praying and singing hymns. Calling on the presence
of God is the way they knew to keep their spirits up. Because what else did they have to expect.
Their Master was scourged and crucified; and they might expect the same treatment. There was
no whining about their situation or complaining about their pain. No, they were singing and
praying.
Then suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were
shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. Now
you’d think that the initial reaction would be one of getting out of there as soon as
possible--maybe my first thought. But what Paul and Silas show us is compassion for others, not
their own self-interests and, though there is the appearance of an open door, because of the law,
in reality, the door is really not open.
As an outsider and immigrant, Paul knew the law. Paul clearly understand that if the open door
for him meant the closed door for another person, the Philippian jailer, the door was really
closed to both of them. Paul’s incredible and compassionate insight boggles my mind
ILLUS: This situation reminds me of the old game show with Monty Hall, “Let’s Make a
Deal”....
You can imagine the sense of relief that the jailer must have felt but apparently, he felt
something more. Like those contestants on Let’s Make a Deal, there were doors facing that jailer
and, like those contestants, the jailer had a choice to make. One choice might have been to dash
around and put all the chains back in place and lock all the doors and in doing so, save his skin.
But think about it, he had probably heard about the message Paul was preaching even before he
locked him up in his cell. Now he had experienced the power behind the message firsthand.
God’s opening the prison doors also opened the door to the prison of the jailer’s heart. He knew it
was God. He knew he was helpless.
So instead he comes up with a question: "What must I do to be saved?" This question reveals
that he knows who is in charge. And unlike those contestants who relied on taking a guess ,
hoping to make the right choice, the jailer knew what was behind those doors. He saw (and had
heard ) the faith, the spirit, the power of a God who is an expert at opening doors the world is
seeking to close.
But remember, open doors do not usually lead to an easy way of life. Obeying God’s call is a
challenge. It challenges us to walk were we have never walked. It causes us to meet the kind of
opposition we may have never met. It forces us to rely totally upon God.
It is wonderful to realize that most of the difficulties we face as Christians always present us
with open doors of opportunity. We must choose from the many doors we face. What choice will
you make? Will you tell Monty that you’re going to keep the known, what you have in your
hands right now, or trade it for the door that Christ presents to us? Will you trade your life as it is
right now, or trade it for the door to salvation? What will you do?
There is story told out of Persia about a General who had the strange custom of giving
condemned criminals a choice between the firing squad and the big, black door. As the moment
of execution draws near, the spies are brought to the Persian General, who asks the question,
"What will it be: the firing squad or the big, black door?" One spy, faced with this dilemma,
hesitated
for a long time. It was a difficult decision. He chose the firing squad. Moments later shots rang
out confirming his execution. The General turned to his aide and said, "They prefer the known
way to the unknown. It is characteristic of people to be afraid of the unknown. Yet, we give them
a choice." The aide said, "What lies beyond the big door?" "Freedom," replied the general, "I’ve
known only a few brave enough to take it."
I want you to know that on the other side of that door we call Christ there is freedom . The
freedom and forgiveness from your sins awaits. Be brave enough to take it!
