Divine Guidance: Lessons from Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
April 18, 2024 - Thursday of the Third Week of Easter
Acts 8:26-40; Ps 66:8-9, 16-17, 20; John 6:44-51
In the first reading, an Ethiopian eunuch was reading a fragment from the fourth song of the Suffering Servant from the Book of Isaiah (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). This song is heard during the liturgy of the Word on Good Friday. The eunuch was wondering whether Isaiah was talking about himself or someone else (Acts 8:34). This question gave Philip a chance to share the Gospel, and lead him to faith in Jesus and the waters of baptism (Acts 8:35-38).
The conversation between Philip and the eunuch reveals the need for someone to help us understand the Scripture. Philip asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" and the eunuch replied, "How can I, unless someone instructs me?" (Acts 8:30-31). Another statement from Isaiah appears in today's Gospel: "They shall be taught by God" (Isaiah 54:13). When Isaiah spoke these words quoted by Jesus, he envisioned a new age in which the children of God are going to be taught directly by their God. But, can we indeed be directly taught by God?
In today's first reading, Philip is directed by the angel of the Lord and by the Spirit. The angel told him to "head south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route" (Acts 8:26) and the Spirit told him to approach the eunuch who was traveling on that road (Acts 8:29). The early Christians believed they had something the world did not have, which they called "the anointing," referring to the gift of the Holy Spirit with which they were anointed. Saint John in his first letter explains that because of this anointing, they do not need teachers. He writes that God’s anointing "teaches you about all things" (1 John 2:27).
The eunuch read the fourth song of the suffering servant of God, and Philip was able to explain the meaning of that song. Why was he able to do it? He was taught by God. Listening to Jesus' explanation of God's teaching process, we realize that it is the Father who draws us to His Son, and it is the Son who reveals the true identity of the Father. After His return to the Father, Jesus sent upon His beloved Church the Holy Spirit, who reminds us of everything Jesus said and leads us to the fullness of truth (John 16:13). Thus, we are indeed taught by God.
After coming to faith in Jesus and receiving the sacrament of baptism, the eunuch continued on his journey rejoicing. He had a profound reason for that joy: the Lord gave life to his soul (see Psalms 66:9). He was the first Ethiopian to be converted to Christianity, and according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, in the early 21st century, the church claimed more than 30 million adherents in Ethiopia.