Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me

Good morning. So the demon has been cast out, and everything is hunky-dory; not exactly. When her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities. Notice that there is no mention of “we“. Luke did not get dragged along with them. When they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, these men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans. That does not sound like any kind of crimes that need to be punished. The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore the robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. Then they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; and he threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. There it would be dark and dank. It would either have been very hot or very cold. Remember their robes had been torn off of them. If there was any place to sleep, I am sure it was extremely uncomfortable. But about midnight Paul and Silas were grumbling and complaining – no way - though I’m sure most people would be. They were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Remember that this is Philippi. So it is very fitting that in the book of Philippians, Paul can assuredly write, rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice! And to be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. That is what he and Silas were doing in prison. We will see next time what happened as a result. Father help us to rejoice in the midst of turmoil and complications in our lives; for we know that You are in control of everything that happens to us.