"He brought them out and said, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' And they said, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved.'"
Acts 16:30-31
He was only following orders when he put Paul and Silas in the innermost cell of the prison. When these orders were given, he knew he had to follow them in order to keep his job, feed his family, survive. This jailer was only obeying authority. He was no enemy to Paul and Silas. And Paul and Silas didn’t see him as an enemy. They saw this prison as a mission field: to their fellow prisoners, they evangelized, and to their jailer, they introduced a new kind of authority. This new authority is one that brings peace in the midst of trial and joy in the midst of imprisonment. This new authority is one that calls the jailer out of his despair and brings him to ask the question, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Paul and Silas see in this man’s question, his concern for his family and they respond in a profound way saying, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved.” These words are full of promise, fulfilled in the baptism of himself and his whole family. This is the authority in which we place our trust and our hope: the authority of Christ Crucified, who has experienced every one of our needs and meets them one-hundred fold.
Am I docile to the Authority of Jesus who searches my heart and offers me eternal life?
Jesus, help me to respond in docility to your love today.
Today’s Reflection is by:
Carly Bosse
Did you know...
Carly Bosse is the Campus Minister for the Catholic Student Center at USF. In this role, she has fallen in love with serving college students and watching the Lord work in their lives. She is currently attending Franciscan University of Steubenville, studying for a Master's in Theology. Carly loves Lectio Divina, hiking (preferably somewhere with mountains), reading, and spending time with her family.
