Captivated Hearts
As the early Church began to grow and move beyond the borders of Israel, we inevitably see conflict arise as the early Christians are faced with the same kind of lies, insults, and attacks that were made against Jesus. Christ anticipated this by telling his friends, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18). So it comes as no surprise when part of this hatred leads to imprisonment - an attempt to constrain the preaching of the Gospel.
If you had a chance to attend Mass yesterday or at least read through the readings for the Mass (Acts 16:22-34), you would have heard one of these examples of local authorities attempting to stifle the proclamation of the Good News in Philippi as Paul and Silas were stripped, beaten with rods, and thrown into prison . These men were seen as such a threat that they were placed in the innermost cell with chains on their feet.
Here is where things get really interesting.
In the midst of praying and singing hymns to God for the other prisoners, an earthquake hits the area, causing all of the doors of the prison to swing open and the chains to loosen. At this moment, Paul, Silas, and the rest of those imprisoned could have easily fled. I do not think it would be a stretch to believe that the others in the prison were probably there for committing some sort of crime and may even be inclined to flee from their imprisonment at the first chance they get… but no one ran.
At this moment, I think that it is important to go back a few chapters in the Book of Acts and see how a different apostle experienced his own imprisonment. In Acts 12 we see that Peter was arrested and placed under the watchful eye of four squads of soldiers - Peter even had to sleep between two guards so that they could be sure he wouldn’t escape or be rescued.
And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” (Acts 12:7-11)
Two imprisonments with two very different outcomes. In one, a miraculous departure led by an angel and in the other, an earthquake that would have led towards freedom, but instead a decision to remain in their cells.
What we see as a foundation in both situations, though, is the same - prayer: prayer from the Church and prayer from those being imprisoned. This prayer wasn’t a crutch only to be used in desperate times, and it wasn’t a series of empty words that treats God like a vending machine. This prayer was a real communication by or on behalf of those imprisoned. It was a total vulnerability before God - it was a relationship.
The prayer of those held captive was an example of what being captivated by God’s love truly looks like. Being in a place of total surrender and availability to God’s will creates a disposition within us that allows us to more readily respond to His movements within our lives. In the cases of those imprisoned, these men of prayer had hearts that were transformed by the love of Christ and predisposed them to properly discern how to best move within that love in each given circumstance. For Peter, this meant trusting the angel and being led into freedom. For Paul and Silas, this meant remaining in their cells.
The earthquake could have been interpreted as a sign from God by Paul and Silas - a sign that pointed them towards freedom from imprisonment. The reality is, however, both Paul and Silas already enjoyed an interior freedom because of their prayer lives - because of the relationship they had with God - so it gave them a greater sensitivity not to immediately seek liberation from an uncomfortable situation and instead abandon themselves to how God was working in the within the walls of a prison cell.
If Paul and Silas were not men of prayer and simply assumed that they were to flee after the earthquake, it would have certainly led to the death of the jailer. The jailer, having woken up and seeing the prison doors open, even believed that all had escaped and was prepared to take his own life. Because of their living relationship with God, the two Christians remained, leading not only to the new life of the jailer in his coming to believe in Jesus, but also a rebirth for him and his entire family as they were baptized later that night.
Having a heart of prayer - that is, having a lived relationship with God where we can be totally vulnerable with Him - leads to an ever deepening trust that helps us walk through life with confidence as we know that no matter the circumstances we find ourselves in, He is still with us and we are deeply loved.
In the midst of joys or sorrows, freedom or chains, His love is still there and accessible. It may not feel comfortable, there may even be times that we don’t feel the same kinds of consolations that we normally do from His presence, yet His love remains. Everything He has revealed about Himself points to this reality - He will not abandon you, no matter how deeply you may feel imprisoned or neglected by those in this world - “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love” (John 15:9).
Peter, Paul, and Silas - they all remained in His love. They knew it so deeply and allowed this love to transform them from the inside out, so no matter the circumstances, they would have freedom. Sometimes remaining in that love looks like immediate freedom from the chains that bind us. Other times it can look like remaining where we are, like a seed waiting to burst out of the ground - seeing abundant and long-lasting fruit come out of a place that we thought could bring no life.
You are invited to experience this same freedom, the same vulnerability, the same trust in a God who so deeply and personally loves you. Respond to Him - spend time with Him in prayer. Experience the same freedom that Peter, Paul, and Silas had - chained or not. Experience His love for you.