Unified Under Christ: A Prisoner of Christ

 

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-- [Ephesians 3:1 NIV]

Today’s reading is Ephesians 3:1-6, and although our study has us focusing on verse 6 today, I feel more drawn to verse 1. I’m calling that being spirit led and not bound to a man-made structure! Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians while under house arrest in Rome around AD 60-62. He was imprisoned for sharing the gospel, not allowed to go out about the town, hold gatherings, or do other missionary work to which he had been very accustomed. My guess is that is it precisely because he was imprisoned that he was able to write the important letters that later became books of our Bible: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon. You see, if he was busy all day running around, doing the work of a missionary, he would never have had the time to sit, pray and contemplate to land on the mysteries that he wrote about, the inclusion of the Gentiles in the Kingdom of God. Neither would he have had the time to craft these precious letters that have been read by billions and deeply affected the growth of the church worldwide. Paul truly was, not a prisoner of Rome, but a prisoner of Christ.

 Not to place myself on the same level, but I see some parallels to Paul’s situation in my life that I think God is trying to acquaint me with, so I will share them with you as well as I process them. In Paul’s day, no one wanted to be in prison. The prison itself, which Paul had multiple opportunities to experience, was a horrible place, dark and damp, where one might experience a variety of tortures. Comparably, his house arrest in Rome for two years was much more comfortable, though he was still chained to a guard and unable to leave the house. I always find it interesting when I read about historical prisons requiring the prisoners to provide their own provisions (food and such). They are completely unable to do so themselves and must rely on the love and care of their family and friends. Many people who ended up in prison didn’t have a great relationship with someone who could, or would, do this. I wonder if they just starved to death? What a terrible situation! Paul, thankfully, had a wide variety of people who were willing and able to provide for him in his imprisonment.

 So, how do I see parallels between Paul’s situation and my own? Well, both of us ended up in a difficult place (him in prison and I in chronic illness) through no fault of our own. History reports that Paul was put in prison over and over, not for doing evil, but for doing good (Why was Paul in prison? | GotQuestions.org). Much of what I experience on a daily basis is due not to poor choices on my part, but to a genetic condition I’ve had since birth, paired with following the “good” advice of medical professionals. Those who have known me for a long time could testify that I’ve always sought to make good choices to stay healthy, and yet I’m in a place of ill-health that I could never have foreseen. Both Paul and I face(d) struggles and hardships that we didn’t sign up for.

 But God used those hardships in both of our lives! With Paul, it was during this time of imprisonment that he wrote many of his epistles, later to become books of the New Testament. I have to believe that it was partly because of his imprisonment that we have these precious gifts today. Similarly, I enjoyed a full and busy life, like Paul, before my illness started to encroach upon it. I was often accused of burning the candle at both ends and I was so busy, I was sometimes not sure where I was at or where I was supposed to be! My days are much simpler now. My energy is so limited that I have to measure it and parse it out carefully according to the priorities of the day or week. Much of my time is spent just sitting. In fact, I can’t even sit up at my desk for very long! I am under a lesser form of house arrest. Yes, I can go out a little, but at a cost and not very often. I may not be chained to a guard, but I am definitely chained to my body, broken and in pain all the time. But like Paul, this “imprisonment” has afforded me opportunities I would have definitely missed in my formerly busy life. I now have the time, the opportunity, to just sit and write. I spend hours most days doing this, often more so when I have more pain as it provides a small distraction.

 Paul’s imprisonment also gave him special audiences. He was granted the opportunity to testify, literally to share his testimony, before rulers and large councils. He was also able to have visitors in his home while he was under house arrest in Rome, sharing in a more intimate setting. My experiences with chronic illness and a brain tumor have equally granted me a voice into populations that otherwise might not have heard me. Though I can’t say I’ve fully realized the impact of this opportunity, I just can’t figure out how to share my blog in such a way that people in these situations will see it, the opportunity is there none the less, and I am working diligently to create a wealth of posts and content that will hopefully benefit someone, somewhere.

Here's the Thing: Proverbs 16:9 reads, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” Neither Paul, nor I, would have probably chosen the path we were to follow, but God knows best. I can only hope, and pray, that God uses me and the path He has me on even a fraction as much as He did for Paul!