Read the scripture text: Acts 8:26-40
Philip & the Eunuch
I love this story.
We get to this great big happy ending. The Ethiopian gets baptized. Philip is overjoyed. A wonderful story about the church drawing ever wider the circle of welcome.
This is the point of the story. This is the yes of the story
“As I read the New Testament, I am struck by the effort its authors expended to create communities within which social barriers could be overcome, social hierarchies transcended, and the social marginalized accepted. They attempted to manage spaces in which existing social distinctions would not only be overcome; they would become irrelevant, made obsolete by the knowledge of God’s perfect love,” he writes. “It takes effort today, as well. ‘Being Christian' is a corporate exercise. We experience God’s love – and with it our own salvation, our own justification – together. Where that happens, there is the church as the apostles intended it.”
Craig Hill
and that is a good yes, a really good yes. Something we can view as a great goal. to ever expand the circle of welcome.
What strikes me about this story is all the times it could have fallen apart. how many times a no could have stopped cold the yes of this story.
First instance. The spirit says to Philip. Hey, you see that chariot over there. Go close to that person, stay close. Go, go, go.
Fear of the other could have stopped this whole thing before it was even a story. Philip could have easily said: Oh no. No. no. i don’t know that guy. he doesn’t look like me. He could be a foe, he could be a friend. but i’m not going to find out. I'm staying right here.
Fear could have stopped this cold. but the no fear in the power of the spirit turned into the courage of yes.
Philip shows courage. Every teacher does.
“As I teach, I project the condition of my soul onto my students, my subject, and our way of being together.”
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Maybe you’ve had a teacher like that. Courageous and connected.
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So Philip goes to the chariot. He hears the Ethiopian reading a Jewish sacred text.
Remember my teacher said:
I am struck by the effort its authors expended to create communities within which social barriers could be overcome, social hierarchies transcended, and the social marginalized accepted.
Philip knew this guy was a Eunuch and guess what: Deuteronomy says they don’t get to be a part of the scene. They’re outsiders. They are excluded.
So, if Philip wants to stay stuck in an old rule, an old way of being, if he wants to be like: hey guess what this isn’t how we do things,
If he goes that route, corpse cold tradition, the story is over.
But in the power of the spirit, Philip says: hey we’re doing something new.
It takes trust and courage to be on the side of innovation and expanding the circle of love.
Easily the story could have been over, with a no based on some toxic tradition of this is how we’ve always done it. This is how we will do it now. but no. Philip persevered.
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What are you reading, Philip says? He knows he is reading Isaiah. He knows he is part of the tribe, even though he is both powerful and marginalized, an Ethiopian and a eunuch.
Do you get what you’re reading?
Philip easily here could have ended the story by making an assumption that of course the dude gets it. But what does Philip do? He stays curious!
Courage and curiosity.
—it isn’t just Philip, the eunuch could end this story early too.
When Philip asks him, do you understand, his ego could have trapped him and he could have said: Of course. Don’t you know I am powerful? I am in no need of you.
Ego and pride and defensiveness gave way to openness.
The Ethiopian with humility and self awareness says: What do you see in this?
Philip with courage and curiosity met him where he was and shared his story.
And in that moment, connection and compassion increase.
So that when the time is right, the eunuch has the courage to say, hey, it looks like there is some water. despite all of the things that might prevent me from being a part of the community, can’t i just get baptized now?
And Philip has the courage to say, of course. be baptized. Despite all the things that in the old days would have made you an outsider, you are an insider. Everyone, this that, gay straight, eunuch or not, powerful in this way but not in other ways, are insiders now.
I will leave you with these quotes from Rachel held Evans:
“This is what God’s kingdom is like: a bunch of outcasts and oddballs gathered at a table, not because they are rich or worthy or good, but because they are hungry, because they said yes. And there’s always room for more.”
“The apostles remembered what many modern Christians tend to forget—that what makes the gospel offensive isn't who it keeps out but who it lets in.”