A Jailer Sees the Light

Acts 16 - 16-34 Paul and Silas in Prison

Preached this morning at Warblington Church

I want to focus, this morning, on the story of Paul and Silas’ miraculous escape from prison. But I’m not as interested in the escape itself, as in what happened to their guard.

The guard's reaction to the earthquake which tore down the prison wall is rather odd. In fact, when he thought that his prisoners had escaped, his first impulse was to draw his sword to kill himself. We might wonder why he had such an extreme reaction. I mean, you would have thought that the first thing he would do would be to run into the prison and see whether his prisoners had escaped - and perhaps kill them before they could do so. But no, as soon as the earthquake was over, he drew his sword - to kill himself.

The Bible doesn’t give us the reason why he did this. But it is fun to speculate sometimes. Perhaps he feared being executed or tortured for having been on duty when the prisoners escaped...and so thought that suidice would be the better opion. Perhaps it was because of his own religious convictions. I wonder if he saw the earthquake as a judgment from heaven - a judgment which condemned him for locking up two of God’s prophets. Most probably the guard was a pagan, who would have interpreted the earthquake as a form of divine punishment on him - and concluded that living under divine judgment was a fate worse than death.

But, of course, God has other plans.

The first thing to notice about this story is the circumstances of the earthquake itself. Paul and Silas have been imprisoned, very unfairly. But notice their reaction. Instead of getting depressed, and wondering whether God will help them, they spend their time praying and singing hymns.

A few weeks ago, a member of our Warblington congregation - whom I won’t embarrass by name - passed me an article about Terry Waite - a short piece about his time in prison. I was fascinated to read that the thing which sustained him most of all was his deep memory of the Book of Common Prayer. He found it an immense comfort to be able to recite those familiar words - to effectively hold his own Matins and Evening prayer, there in his cell.

The article was part of a passionate plea from Mr Waite to make sure that with all the various choices that the new Anglican book of Common Prayer gives us, we shouldn’t lose the ability to memorise prayers and psalms, learned by repetition and familiarity over the years. It was a fascinating article - with which I’m sure many of our parishioners would agree!

But that aside, the key point here is that while Paul and Silas are waiting for God to act, they do what every exemplary Christian should do while waiting for God to act - they continually pray, and worship God. Their constancy in prayer and worship means that when the earthquake occurs, the other prisoners who have been listening to their witness, and indeed the jailer himself, immediately give the credit for the earthquake to God.

As Christians we affirm that God is continually at work in our world. Our prayers and worship are not only a way of co-operating with God in bringing the Kingdom to fruition...they are also a witness to the world - a way of making a clear link in people’s minds between their circumstances, and God’s action. That’s why it is important to tell people that we are praying for them. If people know that we are upholding them in prayer, they will be much more likely to see God at work in their lives, and turn to him themselves.

But let’s focus down on the Jailer. His reaction to finding that Paul and Silas have not escaped, and at having witnessed the earthquake during their prayers and singing, is to fall to his knees, and ask “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Do you see what I am saying? It is Paul and Silas’ faithful waiting on God which succeeds in convincing the Jailer that God was at work in the earthquake.

Its interesting to note, I think, that the Bible doesn’t say that God sent the earthquake - as a specific answer to their prayers. Not on this occasion anyway. The text simply says, “suddenly there was an earthquake”. But as in modern days, we can see God at work in every circumstance of life - even in natural disasters. We can see him at work in the cry for justice on the part of poor people, living in sub-standard housing in earthquake zones, thrown up by corrupt builders in corrupt countries. We can see him at work in the acts of mercy carried out by rescuers. We can see him at work in the acts of charity from those living outside the earthquake zones - sending money, blankets, shelter, food.

However, what I really want to focus on is what happens next. A sequence of events takes place, following the Jailer’s question “What must I do to be saved?”.

1) First of all, Paul and Silas make a very simply evangelistic statement: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household”

2) Secondly, Paul and Silas are invited by the Jailer to speak the word of the Lord to everyone in his household.

3) Thirdly, the jailer and his family are all baptised.

4) Finally, they share a meal together, during which the Jailer is described as being ‘full of joy’. His whole being has been transformed through these actions from one of suicide, to one of joy.

And it might profit us to think about that sequence of events - to see what led him from suicide to joy. The events, as they are laid out, sound rather like our own lives as Christians - compressed down to a short evening of activity.

First of all, comes the question: “What must I do to be saved?”

The answer comes in hearing the Word of life preached to them. Through Paul and Silas’ teaching, their Christian instruction if you will, the Jailer finds the answer to his question. That’s why preaching remains such a vital part of all our services. It is not enough for us just to meet and pray and worship - we need to hear Christian instruction - teaching that will help us to plant our feet firmly on the path to salvation.

Next comes the jailer’s response: he and all his family are baptised - in obedience to Christ’s command. Baptism was then, as it remains for us, a sign of new life...a sacrament of grace that initiates people more fully into their new live with God.

I wonder if you’ve ever thought about what the word ‘sacrament’ means? One way of describing it is “an outward and physical sign of an inward and spiritual gift”. Baptism is the outward sign that our sins have been washed away, and that God is filling us with his Holy Spirit. We baptise children, as well as adults, to follow, at least partly, in the tradition established by Paul and Silas. See verse 33: “Immediately he and all his family were baptised”. It is not just adults whose sins can be washed away by God, and in whom His Spirit can dwell, but whole families.

Finally, the jailer invites Paul and Silas into his home, and they share a meal together. Caring fellowship is being exercised here...as well as a hint of the Eucharistic rite of gathering around a table to remember our Lord.
So, we have four actions...a sequence of events, which are very recognisable to us. A question. A response from the word of God. Baptism. And then the caring fellowship of a family meal - believers together, gathering in joy around a table.

Being a Christian, then, is much more than believing in Jesus. It is, as the Jailer discovered, about belonging to a community...in which God’s Spirit is alive and at work, where instruction and teaching is faithfully given, where baptism is exercised to young and old, and where regular caring, joyful fellowship takes place.

That is the template for church which is suggested by this story.

May God grant us the grace to remain faithful to his call to be members of the body of Christ together.

Amen