Luke 6:18-19, 22-23 on April 26th, 2026
Above is audio of the sermon pulled from the video and amplified.
Below is transcript pulled from the video and formatted by artificial intelligence. There may be inconsistencies or errors.
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Last week we heard about Saul, the oppressor's conversion to Paul, the evangelist, the beam of light, the blindness, the scales falling from his eyes. Christ worked wonders. Today, we catch up with Paul and his buddy, Silas. They are out spreading the gospel message, which is what one does when Jesus knocked you off your high horse, I suppose.
The Spirit of Fortune Telling
The two apostles encounter a female slave who had a spirit of fortune telling. She quickly began to follow Paul. Now I get why he would be annoyed by this. It sounds like she was doing his job for him, maybe even better than him. But for whatever reason, Paul commands the spirit to come out of her in the name of Jesus. This shows that Jesus has power to set people free from spirits and systems of exploitation.
Now we might expect the people who witness this exorcism to react with awe, with wonder, even faith. Instead, there is greed, hate, hostility toward Paul. The owners of this slave world are upset because now they aren't able to make any money for themselves off of this human being that they looked at as their property. The crowds mock their Jewishness. They are inaccurate charges levied against the apostles. They flogged them and they throw them in prison.
Freedom Despite Captivity
That's the end of that, right? No more gospel message being shared. False narratives, selfishness, worldly ways, those of one the day. Paul and Silas are in chains. We've already had a hint about what is to come. Jesus has the power to set people free. Do you really think that a simple jail cell is going to stop him? And what comes next sets out to prove that point?
First while in jail, Paul and Silas sing hymns to God. Not laments for their suffering, even though that would be understandable, appropriate, and even biblical. Instead they sing praises in the midst of despair. It is freedom, despite being locked up. It is a holy presence in times of trouble. Paul and Silas point to Jesus with their songs because they know that the powers of this world aren't really in charge.
And then comes the earthquake. An earthquake that sets free instead of crushes and traps. Paul, the jail cells are opened and everyone's chains spring open. This is an escape story without an escape. Paul and Silas don't leave even as they are free to do so. Even in difficult circumstances the gospel encourages Paul and Silas to be present. To stay even though it is the hard thing to do.
The Gospel's True Meaning
Because the gospel doesn't always mean that we escape from what we're going through. Love doesn't always mean it's going to be easy. Grace doesn't always mean that we're going to be comfortable. Instead the gospel means that God is present, even when we are in those difficult spots.
So the jailer, seeing the rubble and assuming that all the prisoners have fled, decides to end his life as Roman honor code expected after a failure such as this. But Paul and Arruppeson, letting this jailer know that every person was still there and this man came to believe.
The Power of Presence Over Miracles
But note, it was not the miracles that show this guard Christ's power to set free. The jailer knew about the casting out of the spirit from the slave girl. He felt the shaking of the ground. He saw the doors and the chains open. But none of those miracles changed things for him, created faith in him. All of those powerful things occurred, but they didn't make a difference.
Instead, it is Paul and Silas being there. By remaining present, they are able to save a man, both from suicide and from a life without faith in Christ. Their presence is what made the difference. They didn't act in the usual self-preservation prisoners usually do. They, especially when freedom is handed to them on a silver platter. They were the visible sign of Jesus' presence, not the miracles, not the earthquakes.
There was two prisoners standing there with the doors wide open before them. And the message of God's grace came alive in the disciples at that moment. And that simple thing is what prompted the jailer's question. There are many miraculous things in this story. But the most powerful, the one that actually sets a man free is the simplest.
Jesus Shows Up
Jesus has the power to do anything. And the most surprising thing that he does with that power is he shows up. He shows up with us, despite us, in us and through us. In all things, Jesus is present. He doesn't be lying for the exit as soon as he gets the chance, despite hundreds of reasons to do so. He chooses us, chooses to be with us no matter what.
And sometimes we get a chance to represent Christ to others as Paul and Silas did. And other times, Jesus shows up, despite us, to be a Lutheran pastor, one of the things that you have to do. One of the things you get to do is clinical pastoral education. You're CPE for short. You spend the summer as a chaplain in a hospital or a nursing home making visits and providing pastoral care when and where it is needed. It is a fantastic lesson on being present.
A Chaplain's Lesson in Faith
And one night, I was the on-call chaplain at the trauma hospital when the pager went off. Now some people are built for that kind of stuff, both in the medical persuasion and the spiritual persuasion. Not I, for either. So when that pager went off, my stomach sank. I reported to the desk where I was directed to the private family waiting. And I knocked and I went in and there were probably eight to ten people. Some sitting, some standing, all of them looking distraught.
And after a little bit of information about who I was and learning about their situation, I said, let's pray. And so they all got up and before we joined hands, I'm wiping the sweat off of them because I'm so nervous. How am I going to point to Jesus here? What am I going to say that will make everything better? How am I going to save the day? And my mind started putting together thoughts. I closed my eyes and I'd take a deep breath. And then someone else started praying.
The family prayed. And they prayed real good. They weren't in a cell, but they were held hostage by by grief and uncertainty. And in the midst of that, they gave prayer. Thanks, praise. Jesus was present. And I, the one who was supposed to be doing his job, just stood there in awe of Jesus as power and grace coming from this family. It was a lesson on being present.
I would like to say that I brought Jesus into that room, but Jesus was already there. All I did was show up and stand there. And Jesus worked to show me what faith, praise, and prayer look like.
The Simplicity of Christ's Presence
Probably the most miraculous things in our lives aren't the miracles, but instead the simple presence of Christ. And that gives us hope. Hope that despite all things, Christ is present in it and Christ has power to set us free from whatever binds us up.
Presence, power, and grace are not always shown in exorcisms and earthquakes. Because it's a song, a hymn. It's being there. It is bread, it is wine, water, song, community. None of that looks all that powerful on the surface. It's not an earthquake or a chains falling off, but it is how Jesus chooses to show up.
And because Jesus shows up, because Jesus stays with us, and that is where freedom for new life happens. Your Paul for Silas for the girl and the jailer for the world. And for you.
Amen.