May 29, Easter 7C (Acts 16:16-34; John 17:20-26)
I want to know why grace was extended to the Philippian jailer but not the slave.
Things start and end well for Paul, Silas, and their companions in Philippi. In between, not so much. Our lectionary selection concludes with the conversion of the Philippian jailer, along with his household. Prior to this passage, we witness another household conversion, that of Lydia. After the passage, the Roman authorities who have tortured and imprisoned Paul and Silas apologize and release them. The missionaries’ time in Philippi concludes with a farewell visit to Lydia.
Between these household celebrations, however, Paul, Silas, and their fellow travelers experience intense conflict. One conflict leads to dismissal, the other to salvation. An enslaved woman who proclaims who Paul and Silas are and announces that they bear the message of salvation is silenced. But a jailer who tortures the pair receives the gospel and rejoices with his household. Given their circumstances and their actions, I want to know why grace extends to one but not the other. The disparity troubles me.
The first conflict involves an enslaved woman who has a “spirit of divination.” She proclaims Paul and Silas’s identity and mission, implicitly affirming their gospel: “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.” Despite the free advertising, Paul is “very much annoyed.” We do not learn what, precisely, annoys Paul. As usual, Paul is the one who speaks; we never hear Silas’s voice. The woman follows Paul around, shouting this message “for many days.” That could be annoying all by itself, and Paul may believe her conduct is detracting from his message. Paul may object to her possession by a spirit—literally, a “pythonic spirit.” We do not fully understand the phenomenon, but some people in the ancient Mediterranean associated prophecy with snakes.
