“I have told you this so that you may not fall away.
This means that if we have not been told we are in real danger of falling away.
They will expel you from the synagogues;
in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you
will think he is offering worship to God.
We face suffering and persecution. If it isn't on the large scale of actual martyrdom it is still the small scale of the social stigma that comes from holding fast to the truth and the discomfort that comes from speaking up for him. And not sticking to our guns and falling silent when we should be speaking gradually take us away from our LORD. How do we prevent this? We must hear the words which Jesus speaks.
When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,
he will testify to me.
And you also testify,
It is the Holy Spirit who reminds us of all Jesus teaches it. It is he who gives us the words we need we we have to testify. Let us be reassured that he will be so present in these situations that Scripture above tells us that he himself will testify. This transforms mere words to "demonstrations of the Spirit and power" (cf 1 Cor 2:4). It is this presence of the Holy Spirit in St. Stephen which enables him to boldly and joyfully face martyrdom (cf. Acts 6-7). It is the presence of the Holy Spirit in us which enables us to hold fast to the kingdom in our own lives and social situations. If even martyrs can joyfully face their fates by the aid of the Holy Spirit surely we too can be courageous and joyful for Jesus. Maybe not all with Paul are outgoing and extroverted. Yet they are able to joyfully to enter what may be an awkward social situation and meet strangers for the sake of the kingdom.
On the sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river
where we thought there would be a place of prayer.
Our common sense may tell us that there is a "place of prayer" where people will be open to the Good News. Yet when we consider a situation like that we tend to think of everything that can go wrong. But Paul and his companions don't have to fear because they know that opening the heart is the job of the Spirit. All they have to do is open their mouths and speak.
and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention
to what Paul was saying.
The songs of our lives without Jesus are broken and halting. Many grow tired of these old songs and long for something more. He gives us a new song to sing by pouring out his Spirit upon us. He wants this song to rise up from the whole world without ceasing.
Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Pentecost is quickly approaching. Come Holy Spirit!
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