First Mennonite Church
May 26, 2024
Phillip and the Eunuch
Acts 8:26-40
Last Sunday, we saw Phillip doing ministry in Samaria, which lies north of Jerusalem. Today, we will see him being sent by an angel of the Lord to “go south on the desert road that goes to Gaza.” This desert road between Jerusalem and Gaza is a place in the middle of nowhere. Phillip only obeys the command given to him. He does not know why or where exactly, except that he should go down the desert road, south of Jerusalem.
While going, he meets a strange man. His name is not given, but only his nationality, his profession, and something about his private life—he is an eunuch. In his commentary, Martin Marty notes that most Ethiopian officials in his time were castrated. Yet, he also notes that “eunuch was often also [simply] a title for people who served in the court.” So we’re not completely sure just what it means that the man from Ethiopia was a “eunuch.” But the condition of being a eunuch within the context of Israel’s religion, they are not allowed to enter the temple. Castrated men were prohibited from entering the courts of the temple according to Leviticus 21 16-21
16 The Lord said to Moses, 17 “Say to Aaron: ‘For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect may come near to offer the food of his God. 18 No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed; 19 no man with a crippled foot or hand, 20 or who is a hunchback or a dwarf, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles. 21 No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect is to come near to present the food offerings to the Lord. He has a defect; he must not come near to offer the food of his God. 22 He may eat the most holy food of his God, as well as the holy food; 23 yet because of his defect, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar, and so desecrate my sanctuary. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.’”
Deuteronomy 23:2 also contains restrictions for such men.
Whether or not the eunuch got to fully participate in worshiping the Lord God in the temple, he was seeking to know the Lord God of Israel. Hence, even after the service was over, so to speak, and while still on the road back home, he was reading the holy text. Yet, he could not understand what he was reading. But God had a way to bring light to the soul of this man. Phillip had been sent by the Lord to help the eunuch. With Phillip’s help, the passage in Isaiah became the starting point to show that Jesus is the Messiah.
As they traveled, they came to a place where there was water, yes, water in the middle of the desert. And the eunuch asked Phillip, “What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” Phillip found no obstacle and baptized him. Churches oftentimes have requirements preventing believers from being baptized. Sometimes it could be that a person can only be baptized if he or she has attended church for a period of time. Or, if the person subscribes to a list of doctrinal stances or accepts to bear some financial obligations to the church. In some cases if the person is living with a partner, but not married, to be married first.
Here, it seems, the eunuch believed Jesus is God’s Messiah, and the one appointed by God as redeemer. The eunuch went his way home rejoicing.
One might wonder, why would Luke include this story about the conversion of this man above hundreds or thousands of other stories of conversion that took place. There certainly would have been many dramatic stories of people’s conversion that he could have included in the book, which he did not. Maybe, Luke chose to include this story because it shows how God’s faithfulness, mercy, and grace breaks every human barrier to save those far away, those who are confused, those who are different in many ways, but who are searching for God, if those who know him are willing to follow the Spirit’s leading. This reminds us of the words of Paul to the Romans: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! (Romans 10:13-15).
This passage fills us with hope that God is still working. God is still waking up and stirring the hearts of men and women, who we would not suspect God is calling them. It also reminds us that God wants us to work alongside him. He is calling us to walk or sit beside the stranger. He wants us to explain to others what they might be reading. We will see a bit more about this.
Again, here are some lessons we can learn from this passage.
- Phillip is willing to trust in the Lord when he feels prompted. As we saw last week, Phillip had to flee the raging persecution in Jerusalem. However, fear did not stop him from speaking of Jesus Christ. Persecution and opposition did not make him defensive or bitter. Phillip obeyed the Lord even when he did not know what to expect.
- While God’s mighty works were happening in Jerusalem through the apostle, Phillip worked faithfully out in the margins. First, he was in Samaria and now he is out in the middle of nowhere. Phillip only followed the Holy Spirit’s lead. There on the desert road, a man needed the help of Phillip. God had been preparing this man’s heart and with the help of Phillip, most likely, not only this man’s life was forever changed, but if tradition is true, the nation of Ethiopia was also. Tradition has it that by the fourth century AD, Ethiopia was Christian.
You do not have to be a preacher to be able to share the good news of the Lord. There might be a situation you will encounter where someone needs help and you might feel like being out in the middle of nowhere or out of your comfort zone, but bear this in mind: there is no place God cannot use you to bring glory to his name or his grace to someone.
- When Phillip arrived at the place of encounter, he did various things, but let us take a look at two. First, he ran along the carriage, which although strange or even suspicious from our perspective, Phillip ran alongside the chariot. His interest caught the attention of the passenger. So, he invited Phillip to join him. After running beside the chariot, Phillip now is invited to sit beside the eunuch. The eunuch asks Phillip to help him understand what he is reading.
Friendship, trust, and openness between people, who at first are strangers, happens when one shows interest in the other’s life. According to a study,[1] men are suffering a major friendship recession. Men, more than women, are experiencing a shrinkage of their circle of friends and having difficulty making friends. This is especially true among single men. Another data the study showed is that as men grow older their circle of friends becomes smaller. The result of this trend is that men are more often than not the group with increasing levels of loneliness, depression, and poor health.
So, let us stretch ourselves, brothers. Let us break away from our comfort zone and try to walk along with someone. The benefit will go both ways, for us and the other person.
- When Phillip approached the eunuch, Phillip asked, “Do you get it? Do you understand what you are reading?” This is an important question, especially in our time when information is all about. But the question is especially important in the context of Bible reading. In that regard, it is a question we should ask each other because we might be failing to make the biblical connections that we should be. So, I need Phillips that trot alongside me to make sure I am getting it. You need Phillips too to help you when you don’t get what the scriptures tell you.
In the context of sharing our faith, this question is very important. Most people have ideas about religion, the Bible, and God. But maybe they are not getting it right. You are the Lord’s Phillip to these people. Therefore, God might be sending you to the margins to help someone reading, yet not understanding what he or she is reading. Go to them and begin by asking the right questions. So, let us go where God might be prompting us to go. We never know what God has already done in preparation for that encounter. God is still working, we only need to find where and join his work. Amen!
Pastor Romero
[1] Daniel Cox. Friendship Recession www.nationalreview.com