Today’s reading is Acts 13: 1-12

A couple of things about today’s text caught my eye. First is the notion that we see in the first section about Paul and Barnabas being sent off.  They were prayed over and directed to go from their church.  None of us walk the journey of faith alone; we live in an age that tends to be more spiritual than religious, and the danger of that spirituality is that it is so individualist. It can become the motivation and impulses of the individual. We need others around us to help us, to grow us, to help us to understand where we should be pushed, or corrected, or challenged, or anything like this.  Yes, Paul was called by God. But he was sent by the church.  We need that balance in our lives.

Second, we see in the story of Paul and Barnabas’ preaching how the one opposing them, Elymas, became blind and unable to see. There is always a deeply spiritual meaning the scriptures concerning sight.  He was unable to see, and that blindness was spiritual more than physical.  He could not see the power of God.  He was blinded to the truth of Jesus Christ.  Jesus always heals our blindness.  He allows us to see.  We all need our sight restored, even those of us that can physically see.  It is a spiritual sight that we need.  It is a spiritual sight that Jesus gives.

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