The Power of Faith: Lessons from Paul's Trial and Jesus' Prayer
May 16, 2024 - Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Acts 22:30; 23:6-11; Psalm 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11; John 17:20-26
In today's passage from the Acts of the Apostles, Paul pleads his innocence before "the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin" (Acts 22:30). Realizing that they were not willing to accept the message of the Gospel, the apostle exploited the disunity between the Sadducees and the Pharisees to his advantage: "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead!" (Acts 23:6). This led to a heated debate in the court and the suspension of the trial. What Luke tells us next is worth highlighting: "The following night the Lord, standing near Paul, said" (Acts 23:11).
The truth is that the Lord always stands near us, but at certain moments His presence is tangible. It is also true that the Lord speaks to us daily in different ways, and at certain moments, we realize it. The words "have courage" are often spoken by God in the Bible, and Jesus also used them many times to counter the fears of His disciples. Then, the assurance that Paul had witnessed to Christ in Rome also indicates that his adversaries in Jerusalem would not succeed in sentencing him to death or in their attempts to murder him (see Acts 23:12-35).
Paul's experience fits the testimony of the Psalmist. The psalmist asks: "Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge" (Ps. 16:1). We can imagine Paul praying and asking the Lord Jesus to protect him in that moment of trial. Then, the psalmist says: "I bless the LORD who counsels me" (Ps. 16:7). One can wonder if the idea to exploit the disunity among the members of the Sanhedrin was inspired by the Lord. Then, in the following verse, the psalmist testifies: "I set the LORD ever before me; with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed" (Ps. 16:8). We can be sure that the awareness of the risen Christ standing near Paul and His encouraging words removed the fears and worries from the mind and heart of the apostle.
As we move to the Gospel, we continue listening to Jesus’ high priestly prayer. Jesus prays for all those who will believe in Him through the testimony of the apostles. Jesus wants all of us to experience God's love, be united, see Christ's glory, and be with Him. I particularly like the rendering of verse 24 in our liturgical translation: "Father, they are your gift to me" (John 17:24). It is heartwarming to know that we are the Father's gift given to His Son. And that is why Jesus prays that "the love" with which the Father loved Jesus may be in us (see John 17:26).
In our moments of trials, let us find consolation and encouragement in Jesus' promise that He is always with us (Matt. 28:20). Let us hold fast to the assurance that we are indeed God's precious gift to His Son, and let us embody God's love in all that we do.