The Disobedient Employee
Paul wrote, Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10
He was only doing his job. The magistrates had ordered him to flog the Jewish troublemakers and throw them into the inner cell of the prison. So that’s what the jailer did. Duty completed, he went to bed.
At midnight, a violent earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. The jailer awoke, and when he realized that the cell
doors were open and the prisoners free, he drew his sword. Better to kill himself, he thought, than to be executed for allowing all the prisoners to escape.
But then a voice called out in the darkness, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” Calling for a light, the jailer exploredthe damaged prison. Seeing the two Jewish prisoners, he fell to his knees before them, then ordered that they be brought out of the prison.
Defying prison policies, the jailer took the prisoners, Paul and Silas, to his home. They explained the gospel to him and his family; the jailer washed and dressed their wounds, then provided a meal for them.
Was the jailer worried about his job or his personal safety? After all, he had disobeyed policies that would surely lead to his execution for dereliction of duty. Apparently, fear and worry fled when the Word of God entered his heart. Acts 16:34 says, “He was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God.”
As it turned out, God intervened by changing the city magistrates’ minds. In the morning, they sent the order for Paul and Silas’ release (v. 35). But the Philippian jailer had no way of knowing that in the wee hours of the morning when he made his choice.
The Philippian jailer’s courage fills me with admiration. Would I be willing to act so righteously in a similar work situation? Would I place my spiritual integrity over my job security?
The day may come when you and I have to choose between standing for Christ or following company policy. Will we be bold enough to follow the Philippian jailer’s example?
DIG DEEPER:
Read Acts 16:16-40. Why were Paul and Silas thrown into jail? How did God work through that injustice to bring glory to Himself? Have you ever experienced an injustice that God used to bring glory to His name?
Read the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3:1-30. In what way were they disobedient employees? What was their attitude when they were threatened with death? What would your response have been?
Read 2 Timothy 2:11-13. In what way does this passage comfort you? In what way does it challenge you to be bolder?
For another perspective on Paul and Silas’ experience in Philippi, read the devotion on Philippians 1:1-11.
Denise K. Loock
This devotion is part of a series, Unnamed Heroes.