“After we were
brought safely through, we then learned that the island was called Malta. The native people showed us unusual kindness,
for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all, because it had begun to rain and
was cold. When Paul had gathered a
bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat
and fastened on his hand. When the
native people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another,
‘No doubt this man is a murderer. Though
he has escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live. He, however, shook off the creature into the
fire and suffered no harm...And when this had taken place, the rest of the
people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured.” -Acts
28:1-5, 9 (ESV. Reads Acts 28:1-10.
An
interim on the island of Malta (meaning ‘refuge’) brought interesting events to
Paul and the shipwrecked survivors. Scholars
agree that the entourage spent the remainder of the winter on Malta. Let’s look at some of the exciting things
that happened. I admit that I am using
my imagination to picture these victims of shipwreck. By swimming or floating on pieces of the
ship’s wreckage, all the people who were on the ship arrived on the
island. It must have been a sight for
the natives, seeing the visitors coming out of the sea, near-drowned, wet, and,
complicated by the weather on the island, cold, shivering and hungry. The islanders who welcomed the visitors
warmly, no doubt language being a barrier (some translations call them
‘barbarians’—not meaning human flesh-eating individuals but those who spoke
‘bar-bar’ or language unrecognizable to those who spoke the beautiful Greek
tongue), soon built a fire to warm them.
When Paul was getting a bundle of sticks to add to the fire, a viper
came out and bit him, attaching itself to his arm. He flung the creature into the fire while the
natives waited expectantly for him to swell up and die, suspecting the
snake-bite to be some punishment from ‘Justice,’ one of their gods. Evidently they had detected that Paul was one
of the prisoners, and in their minds he might be a murderer. When nothing bad happened to Paul, they
reversed their thinking about him and thought he was a god. Luke does not tell us how Paul communicated
that he was mere man and not a god, but we assume that he was able to clarify
their thinking.
Then
came forth the chief of that section of Malta, one Publius by name. His name means “pertaining to the
people.” They were royally entertained
at the estate of Publius for three days.
Perhaps this chief could communicate with Paul, for he likely was the
Roman-appointed ruler of the island. He made
it understood that his father lay sick of a high fever and stomach
ailment. Paul went to him, laid his
hands on him, and the ruler’s father was healed. This opened the door to further healing, and
others on the island who were ill came to Paul to be cured. Did Paul have opportunity to communicate to
them the gospel so that they could understand and respond? Luke does not make this clear in his account,
but if there were a way at all for him to tell that the healing came from
Jesus, and that He stood ready to heal their souls as well, we can be assured
that Paul preached to them. Kindness is
reciprocal. When the shipwrecked
survivors arrived, the islanders showed kindness by kindling a fire and making
them comfortable. We must remember that
the motley crowd from the ship may have survived with only themselves and the
clothes on their backs. Then Paul in his
compassion, with the gift of healing from the Lord, gave kindness in
return. As had Peter and John at the
temple healed the blind beggar, saying, “I
have no silver or gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise
up and walk!” (Acts 3:6), so Paul was able to exercise the spiritual gift
of healing for those who came. Our
ministry of healing may be to intercede sincerely for those who are ill. When our church’s prayer list is in our
hands, it is a serious and needful guide to intercessory prayer. Many can testify to the miraculous effects of
prayer. Recently mothers deeply
concerned over grown children with medical emergencies have called me to pray for
their children. Individuals, likewise,
have called requesting prayer for one emergency or another. Sometimes the prayers are answered with
miraculous healing. Again, the miracle
is administered through the skills of surgeons or doctors who know an
advantageous treatment. Again, some may
die and not be healed this side of heaven.
But as Paul on Malta, and others whom we study about in Acts, our task
is to be faithful in diligent prayer on behalf of our friends, trusting the
Lord’s will to be done. Think of Paul on
Malta when the shipwrecks of life occur.
With God, there is always hope through the darkest times.
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