Philip and the Ethiopian

Acts 8:26-40

I will never forget the first time I visited Minnesota. It was March, and there was still some snow on the ground and ice on the lakes, and yet I had to ask why there were kids in swimsuits playing in sprinklers on a random 60-degree day. The soil in the fields we passed was so black I asked if there had been fires that burned everything up. I couldn’t pronounce some of the town names, and when I asked my then fiancé, Dan, took to quizzing me as we passed a few. Then he moved on to names commonly mispronounced by non-Minnesotans: “Jessica, how would you say Cokato, Mankato, Willmar, Orono, Shakopee?” 

It was an interesting trip and one in which I didn’t know anything about my surroundings, but I learned a lot by asking questions. Luckily I was traveling with a Minnesota native who could answer each of them...even if the answers came with a side of good-natured ribbing!

The Ethiopian eunuch in our verses this week was in unfamiliar territory. He had been to Jerusalem to worship, and he was struggling to understand the scriptures in front of him. Philip was there to explain what he was reading: Jesus was the missing puzzle piece, and upon hearing the Good News the Ethiopian asked to be baptized. The newly baptized Ethiopian “went on his way rejoicing,” because the Good news shared by Philip had changed his life. 

How different might this story have turned out if Philip hadn’t obeyed the Spirit’s leading for him to be in the right place at the right time? What if the Ethiopian hadn’t had the courage to ask for clarification of what he didn’t understand?

Reading scripture on our own is important, but studying it with others is equally important. Our small group has been a fantastic way for us to ask and answer questions, and as a result our entire group has gained a greater understanding of scriptures we’ve studied together. We all have unique perspectives and experiences, and sometimes God uses others to reveal different parts of Himself to us through scripture.

Small groups serve many purposes, and studying God’s word together is one of them! We have several groups meeting all around Chatham county virtually and in person. If you aren’t already in a small group, I encourage you to join one today! You can find more information here: https://www.chathamchurch.org/small-group