As Saul explodes with persecution against the new believers in Jerusalem, throwing an untold number of men and women into prison, the apostles remain in the center of the maelstrom while the other leaders are scattered across the region:
“Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word” (Ac 8:4).
Recall that this is no surprise to the fledgling church, for Jesus has prepared them with a warning and a command:
“’When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes’” (Mt 10:23).
This sounds as if Jesus will come quite soon, but later, closer to his crucifixion, Jesus makes it much clearer to the disciples that a longer period of time will be required to reach from Israel to the whole world:
“’And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come’” (Mt 24:14; Mk 13:1-37; Lk 21:5-36).
Something very close to reaching the whole world has now occurred in our times, almost two thousand years later. It started here:
“Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city” (Ac 8:5-8).
Persecution in Jerusalem by those who are Jesus’ own people. Open reception, amazement, and joy among those in Samaria considered to be outcasts by the “proper” religious leaders in Jerusalem. We see the ripples of God’s hand using the effects of persecution for good. The persecutors are left in isolation from God, the faith spreads by those persecuted and exiles, and God’s purposes are fulfilled many times over!
God’s arithmetic has many dimensions.
“But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, ‘This man is the power of God called Great.’ And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. But when they believed Philip because he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized , both men and women. Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed” (Ac 8:9-13).
And so, while the tragedy of persecution of families in Jerusalem is horribly painful, God is using a command of Jesus to disperse across the land and to spread the gospel elsewhere, to the joy of new believers. This includes a magician who sees the futility of Satan’s grip in his pathetic magic tricks compared to the glory of God in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Look around. Do you see Satan’s magic tricks stealing younger generations with all kinds of thrilling technology? The harvest is ripe once again.
Who will God send out, like Philip, in these difficult times to join the generations in perfect unity? Who will become a professor of God's arithmetic?