ACTS 28:1-10 Paul on the Island of Malta
28 Once we were safe on shore, we learned that we were on the island of Malta. 2 The people of the island were very kind to us. It was cold and rainy, so they built a fire on the shore to welcome us.
3 As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand. 4 The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, “A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live.” 5 But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. 6 The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn’t harmed, they changed their minds and decided he was a god.
7 Near the shore where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and treated us kindly for three days. 8 As it happened, Publius’s father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him. 9 Then all the other sick people on the island came and were healed. 10 As a result we were showered with honors, and when the time came to sail, people supplied us with everything we would need for the trip.
No sooner have Paul and his companions reached shore, but local people from Malta come to build a fire to welcome them. Paul wants to be useful, so he begins gathering sticks, only to be bitten by a poisonous snake. The Maltese think Paul must be some kind of horrible criminal, since he has already been shipwrecked and is now being bitten by a snake. But Paul shakes off the snake into the fire and remains unharmed; in fact, a few hours later, Paul can’t even find the place on his hand where the snake bit him. Now the Maltese decide that Paul must be some kind of deity since he has survived a shipwreck and a potentially fatal snakebite. But God has more surprises to come.
Publius, the chief official on Malta, welcomes Paul and his companions; however, Publius is frightened. Publius’ aged father has been running diarrhea for days, and is burning up with fever. Publius fears his father will die if nothing is done. As soon as Paul learns of the problem, Paul prays for this suffering old man, and he recovers immediately. Word spreads throughout Malta, and all the sick people on the island come for prayer and healing. It doesn’t hurt that word has already spread about the stranger who survived a snakebite. God ensures that Paul establishes a reputation that spreads throughout Malta so that one way or another, all the inhabitants come to Paul and hear the Gospel in the process. Would we use snakebite and diarrhea to advertise? No. But God will use any circumstance to grab people’s attention so they can learn about new life in Jesus Christ.
Paul Arrives at Rome
11 It was three months after the shipwreck that we set sail on another ship that had wintered at the island—an Alexandrian ship with the twin gods as its figurehead. 12 Our first stop was Syracuse, where we stayed three days. 13 From there we sailed across to Rhegium. A day later a south wind began blowing, so the following day we sailed up the coast to Puteoli. 14 There we found some believers, who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome.
15 The brothers and sisters in Rome had heard we were coming, and they came to meet us at the Forum on the Appian Way. Others joined us at The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and thanked God.
16 When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to have his own private lodging, though he was guarded by a soldier.
The second something bad happens, many of us are ready to murmur and complain vociferously. “Why me?” we wonder. “Why are all these terrible things happening?” But we fail to see what God sees. Corrie Ten Boom and her sister Betsie wound up in Ravensbrook Concentration Camp because their family had harbored a Jewish family. Betsie eventually died there. But both Corrie and Betsie inspired and encouraged the ladies in that horrible place, and many women learned about Jesus because of the Ten Boom sisters. Those gas chambers became the gateway to heaven for many of those ladies. Later, Corrie used those experiences as she traveled the world, teaching the lessons about forgiveness God had burned into her soul during her time in Ravensbrook. Corrie spoke to those who had suffered just as severely as she had, and had her suffering been any less or her trials any easier, those people would have steadfastly ignored her.
After leaving Malta, Paul and company enjoy an easy voyage to Italy and work their way up the coast. Paul receives a warm reception in several different places and once in Rome, settles in a private lodging with a Roman soldier guarding him. Throughout Paul’s imprisonment, many soldiers will watch him, and only in eternity will we learn how many of these soldiers received Christ during their tours of duty.
God never wastes experiences. While we feel we are blundering around making mistakes, God can use even our mistakes. When Corrie Ten Boom preached, she often carried a piece of embroidery with her. First Corrie would show the back side of the embroidery, with its dangling strings and no discernible pattern. Then Corrie would turn the embroidery to the right side, showing a beautiful crown. The message is clear: we only see the back side of things while God is working out His plan beautifully. May we continue to trust God and persist in following Him, even when things look messy!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to remember that no matter how much we suffer, You can redeem every bit of it. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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