Uncle Paul

Scripture Verse that Caught My attention today: Acts 23:16 Now the son of Paul’s sister heard about the ambush; so he went and gained entrance to the barracks and told Paul.

Observation: Paul was saved from the ambush by his nephew. I knew that Paul was not married, but I didn’t realize until tonight that he had a sister who, of course, had the son who saved his life (at least for a time.). Usually it’s Uncles who are benevolent souls for nephews rather than the other way around

Application: I was an uncle the day I was born; I have three nieces who are older than me. Normally one would assume that Paul’s nephew was younger than Paul, but my own experiences bears witness to the opposite possibility. I wonder…was this an older nephew of Paul’s who was looking out for him? Probably not. Paul himself refers to the nephew as a “young” man in the next verse. Still, it’s neat to consider the wide variety of configurations that might have comprised Paul’s extended family. And while we often consider Paul to be one who sort of went about his ministry largely apart from his family, this verse serves as a subtle reminder that whatever family he had might not have been too far away.

Prayer: Lord, thanks for the families that you provide for us, regardless of their configuration. Help for our earthly life comes from many corners, though ultimately from you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Readings today included: Job 16 and Acts 21-23)