Jeremy L. Berg

Lectionary Reflection: Acts 8:26-31, 35

Life is often a bumpy ride. Faith is full of potholes. I don’t advise trying to go it alone. And growing up in Christ and learning the ropes of Kingdom Living is a community project, not a “me-and-Jesus” affair. 

This week’s lectionary is usually cited as an evangelistic success story with Philip leading the Ethiopian to faith in Christ by helping him understand how the prophecy of Isaiah points to Jesus as its fulfillment. That is indeed true, and worthy of consideration and emulation. But let’s broaden its application today and come at it from a different angle. Here’s the story:

Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a wilderness road.)So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him… Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus” (Acts 8:26-31, 35).

This passage, first of all, inspires us to be open to the Spirit’s call to go to and “stay near” people, places and situations without knowing the reason why. “Go to that chariot and stay near it,” Philip is told. I can imagine Philip wanting to know why he is walking awkwardly next to some stranger’s taxi cab, pretending to mind his own business, but lingering nearby like a creep in the shadows. But in the short term, he doesn’t know why he is there, just that God told him to go and stay near the situation. 

How about you? Is there a person, or place, or particular situation, the Spirit of God might be nudging you to “stay near”—though you don’t yet know why, or what you’re supposed to do? Sometimes faith demands we just take the first step, and place ourselves in proximity to a situation and simply be the presence of Jesus there until receiving further instructions.

Now let’s consider a spiritual reading and symbolic interpretation of the chariot and its significance. As I said earlier, life is a bumpy ride and walking in faith is often a road full of potholes. That being the case, God wants to provide each of us a warm and dry chariot to climb up into and find spiritual guidance and companionship along the way. Let’s consider some details in this story.

First, the author wants us to know that Philip finds the Ethiopian while traveling on the wilderness road, just like you and me will often find ourselves wandering off the beaten path, and facing wild beasts and temptations in faith. How gracious it is to find spiritual friendship and a chariot  of grace awaiting us along the Wilderness Road.

Second, the Ethiopian is a servant of the Queen, and riding in royal luxury through the wilderness way. Similarly, while we feel like spiritual paupers somedays, we are nevertheless coheirs with Christ and sons and daughters of the King of the Universe. While faith doesn’t promise riches in this life, we will, like the Ethiopian, someday be in “charge of [God’s] entire treasury”—as kings and priests over His renewed creation (see Rev. 1:5).

Third, my favorite image here is of Philip being invited to “climb up in and sit beside him” in this posh chariot of spiritual mentorship, friendship, and enlightenment! Friends, I spent way too many years wandering alone on foot in my faith and vocational life, longing for my own chariot to come along. These days my cup overflows!

Just this past week, I climbed up into four different chariots to enjoy “chariot chats” with four special people: a colleague, two mentors, and my spiritual director. Each of these people extended a warm hand and invited me up like Philip into a sacred space they intentionally cleared for me in their busy lives. For a couple hours, we traveled together in a chariot of mutual longing, questioning, grieving and rejoicing. One chariot was an Irish Pub, another was a path in the woods, one was a prayer chapel with candles lit, and the fourth chariot was a living room where a mentor played me some jazz guitar (I bet Philip and the Ethiopian would have enjoyed listening to jazz together). Each chariot was a sanctuary for the soul—and I long for you to have your own!

Fourth, the chariot is a place of humble questioning, not a place for arrogant know-it-alls. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asks gently without a hint of condescension. The Ethiopian replies, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” We all need a safe person and/or place we can go for guidance with our deepest doubts and wildest questions about faith and God and the mysteries of this life  along the Wilderness Road.

Fifth, the chariot is a Scripture-soaked place where Christ awaits to open our eyes to the gospel and deeper spiritual truths of God’s Word. “Starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus.” In our day of personal Bible reading plans on our phones, its tempting to think we don’t need others to help us read the Scriptures. Yet, God has given the church “pastors and teachers” who are specially called and gifted to help us read and understand the Scriptures (Eph. 4:11). Moreover, we’re given a beautiful picture here of a chariot of mutual learning, searching the Scriptures together, of mutual edification that is so much more enriching than reading the Bible alone.

Finally, if I may, we all need chariots, or vehicles, in our daily or weekly rhythms that help lead us into worship and point us on the path to our eternal home. The Ethiopian’s chariot carried him faithfully “to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home.” By worship, I do not mean a “worship service” where we sing songs to God. Rather, I mean we all should have practices or people who help lead us to a greater awe of God and make us want to praise Him for His goodness and love. This might be climbing up into the chariot of a small group Bible study, or joining a Holy Yoga session, or taking a series of “Jesus Walks” with a company of friends. Or, your chariot may indeed be stepping into a worship service and joining others in singing praises to God with a worship band. These chariot trips to Jerusalem for worship hopefully whet our appetite for the ultimate chariot ride to our eternal Home someday. 

In the meantime, I hope this beloved story has taken on new meaning and depth, and you are left longing and looking for your own spiritual chariots that await. Don’t let it pass you by when it comes over the hill; climb up inside and relish the spiritual warmth and friendship God has made us for. 

Invitation: We introduced our church to the practice and concept of Spiritual Direction this past year. Spiritual Direction involves meeting regularly with a specially trained spiritual listener who sits with you in the presence of God,  talking about life and faith, listening for His voice, asking questions together, seeking guidance from above in the safe company of a spiritual friend. We have a trained Spiritual Director in our church, and I would love to connect you with her if you are interested. Let me know. Learn more here.