By Lissy Maruthanakuzhy
Panaji, May 7, 2024: The Acts of the Apostles tells us inspiring stories of how the Holy Spirit worked in the lives of the disciples. The disciples became channels of the Holy Spirit leading many to the fold of Christ through healing the sick and raising the dead and speaking in different languages.
The event in Acts chapter16 shows us how God works remotely through certain persons like the wonder the Holy Spirit worked for the disciples locked up behind the iron bars of the jail. There was no way they could escape. However, the God of the impossible broke open the multiple jail locks in an instant with an earthquake. It was not for them to escape, rather it was to break open the heart of the jailor.
God has his own ways of allowing the goodness of the people to shine forth. The jailor was no more the same when he met the disciples in the jail that was unlocked by the earthquake. The jailors’ heart was also unlocked to welcome Jesus.
When he witnessed the jail doors broken he was in fact filled with fear. He thought all the prisoners had escaped.
Slowly he realized that the earthquake was the result of the prayers of Apostles Paul and Silas. Trembling with fear, he asked them, “What must I do to be saved?” The apostles were happy to tell him about Jesus in whose name they were locked up in the jail. Hearing about Jesus, the jailor was transformed to act like Jesus. Though it was night he took the apostles to his home and attended to their wounds. The apostles baptized the jailor and his family. Thus, the Holy Spirit opened the door to let another family enter the fold of Christ.
God uses different ways to bring out the goodness in people. The earthquake brought out the tender heartedness in the jailor. We may also find people whom we thought were hard-hearted suddenly becoming caring and loving.
I remember one of our schoolteachers, Chacko who was feared by all of us because of his severe punishment in the class. Some even termed him as cruel. He was my language teacher when I joined class 5 in the new school. We tried our best not to give him an opportunity to exercise his cane on us. We studied hard each day to answer his questions in the class.
One day one of my friends’ 6-year-old brother studying in the primary class next o our school fell ill and she took him home. She returned to the class after walking 2 km both ways. When she appeared at the entrance of the class, we waited with bated breath. Chacko Sir was in the class.
He looked at her, called inside and asked her what happened. When she narrated what had happened, he became tender hearted, and appreciated her courage to take her brother home.
We were relaxed. We smiled seeing the true nature of our ‘cruel Sir Chacko.’
If we take time to look closely, we will find goodness in every person. Even if it is otherwise, may be our loving approach or our words of affirmation may move them to become better and come closer to Jesus.