This was a message I shared at St Pauls United this last Sunday. I hope you find it challenging...
I want to tell you about a man.
Well, he isn't exactly completely a man.
Some call him a eunuch.
What is a eunuch? Let's see if I can give it to you gently… he doesn't have a penis!
Why is his manhood missing? We aren't sure. There are a few possibilities. He might have been born that way. Though this is unlikely.
He might have been castrated as a punishment for doing something he shouldn't have done.
But mostly likely, he did it to himself, or instructed a doctor to perform the castration.
Why? Well, this man was from Ethiopia, North Africa. In his country, men would only be employed in senior government positions if they were eunuchs. This was probably mostly to protect the queen (who was also sometimes referred to as "The Candice", referencing her important position in society). This man found himself as a particularly high ranking official. He was the equivalent of finance minister, i.e. the Pravin Gordhan of his country. Of course he would have had a lot of dealings with the queen, and so it was safer to have such a person be a eunuch, just in case he got any wrong ideas about his good looking queen…
It was common for eunuchs to begin to take on more feminine features, as their body reacted to their castration. It was also common for eunuchs to add to this by dressing in a more feminine way. In our terms, this man would be called a transvestite!
Being from North Africa, he was probably black. If you were a Jew, you know simply by the colour of a person's skin that they can't possibly be of Jewish blood, and so they can't possibly be part of God's chosen people. Yes, racism was already an issue back then.
So we are talking about a black, transvestite foreigner. Not exactly the picture of the perfect Jew.
And yet, for some reason, this man gains an interest in Judaism. Typically, eunuchs were considered incapable of being converted to Judaism. For a man to be converted, he needed to be circumcised. Needless to say, our man has a small problem in that he is missing a lot more than just a foreskin! However, if the Jewish people had listened to their prophets, particularly Isaiah, they would know that God wanted to welcome even eunuchs into his chosen people, provided they were faithful and observed the Sabbath (see Isaiah 56:4-5). But the Jewish people of that day preferred to keep their religion exclusive, and besides, why you want to include a black transvestite in your community? (Of course, in our modern day churches, we are much more inclusive of people who are different to us, right?)
Given all that, why would this man take an interest in the God of his neighbours?
His interest goes so far that he decides to take a road-trip up to Jerusalem. He goes to worship and share in one of the annual festivals. Let it be understood, this man would have been a wealthy, highly respected member of society in Ethiopia. Why would he travel to Jerusalem where he is likely to be ostracised by pious Jews?
Somehow he gets a hold of some copies of the Scriptures, in particular part of the book of Isaiah. And on his way home from the festival, he reads and tries to understand. Why? What does he see in the Jewish faith that makes him want to devote so much time to it? What makes him move way out of his comfort zone? Does he see a truth he hasn't found in the religions of his own land?
Take a moment and read the story of this Ethiopian Eunuch, and his encounter with Philip. You can read it here in Acts 8:26-40.
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The eunuch asked Philip 3 questions, and I want to look at each question individually now. But before I do that, consider this:
Do you think of yourself as a bit like the eunuch? Searching, wanting answers.
Do you think of yourself as a bit like Philip? Needing to share God's word and help others to understand it.
I want to suggest that we are all called to be both. And that is the lens through which I will look at the 3 questions the eunuch asked.
1. How can I unless someone explains them to me? (verse 31)
The eunuch asking this question in response to Philip's question, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
From the perspective of the eunuch, do you ever ask for help in understanding Scripture? When you come across a difficult passage do you just give up and accept that the Bible is simply difficult for you to understand? Perhaps you write it off as irrelevant or out of date… and so instead you go read some modern self-help book! Have you ever gone to see your minister or pastor to get help in understanding Scripture? Have you ever asked anyone to help you understand your Bible?
From the perspective of Philip, have you ever drawn alongside a young Christian and offered to help them read, understand and apply the Scripures? Or do you just criticise young people who don't read their Bible enough?
Scripture was never meant for private use. Obviously we can spend time reading it alone, but it's purpose goes far beyond private devotions. Who are you speaking to about the Bible?
2. Who is the prophet speaking about, himself or someone else? (verse 34)
The eunuch was reading from Isaiah 53, a passage about a suffering servant. Many believe the prophet was speaking about Jesus, but there continues to be much debate among scholars today as to who exactly the prophet had in mind when he was writing the passage. What is certain though is that the life of Jesus has many interesting parallels with this prophetic writing.
The lesson I gleen from the eunuch here is that we need to question Scripture, we need to go deeper. Don't just accept what preachers tell you. Don't simply take the Bible at face value. A true disciple doesn't just accept as gospel the things people say. Rather we need to wrestle with texts, seek true understanding. Put your Bible and your faith to the test! I promise you, it can take it! And what you will find on the other side of testing is a faith that is stronger and more robust. You become even more certain of the Truth revealed to us through Scripture.
What about the lesson we learn from Philip? We need take opportunities to share the hope we have in us! We need to be prepared. A question about the intention of Isaiah 53 was the perfect opportunity to share the Gospel message. Philip exploited the obvious parallels this passage has with the life of Jesus. Tradition has it that the eunuch went on to be the first evangelist in Ethiopia. An entire nation got to hear the good news because Philip had been prepared.
In a previous job, one of my managers was getting married. The church she was getting married in insisted that she be baptised first. So she came to me one day asking me to explain what baptism was and what it meant. What a fantastic opportunity to share the good news of Jesus with her! Unfortunately, I was ill prepared. I missed the opportunity.
3. Why shouldn't I be baptized? (verse 36)
Baptism speaks of inclusion. By being baptized, the eunuch is included into the body of Christ, the family of God. If you look closely at your Bible, you will notice that verse 37 is missing. Some manuscripts had these words added: "And Philip said, 'If you believe with all your heart, you may (be baptized)'". It seems that someone in the early church added this. Perhaps they were trying to control who got accepted, who got included into the fellowship of believers through baptism. This verse could be used as a loophole to exclude people. I am really glad this verse is not in our Bibles, because baptism should never be about what you have done or believe. I would love to say I believe in Jesus with all my heart. But I confess there is a corner of my heart that doubts. But I am not excluded, because all that was required was for me to say I want to follow Jesus, I want to be a disciple.
From the eunuch's perspective, hear the promise, "You are included!"
From Philip's perspective, hear the challenge, "All others can be included!" Who would you rather exclude from your church? Be ready to not just accept such people, but to draw alongside them and share in the Scriptures together.
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Discipleship and the Word can not be separated. They are co-dependent.
When we talk about being disciples, we are talking about people who make more disciples! A disciple is someone who chooses to follow Jesus, and helps others to do the same.
So when you read the Scriptures, understand there are two reasons for doing so. Firstly, it is good for you! It helps you to know God better! It is good for your own faith. Wrestle with what you read, put it to the test, and find a faith that lasts a lifetime. But secondly, you are reading the Bible for the benefit of others. It is preparation for sharing the hope of Christ with those you encounter. You never know when an opportunity will present itself, but you need to be ready.
Are you following Jesus? If you aren't reading your Bible, you are not following Jesus. Sunday sermons are simply not enough (though they are important!). Get back into Scripture. If you don't know where to start, read the Gospels. You can start in Mark, it is probably shorter than the FHM or Cosmo that you read cover to cover each month! Ask for help when you struggle, don't give up. Wrestle with texts, challenge what you read. Get in Bible Study groups and debate with fellow Christians. And most importantly, be ready to share with anyone who gives you an opportunity to do so.
Amen.
