You Don't Say

It's amazingly easy to tune out or gloss over the details as we read or listen to the Scriptures.

I've been through this passage from Acts dozens of times.

But only this last time did something register with me about Paul.

He was one tough character.

He comes with Barnabas to the Gentiles in the city of Lystra.

He's fabulously successful, he has to convince the people not to worship him as a God.

Then, some other Jews come to town and turn the people against Paul.

The text quite succinctly summarizes an incident.

They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.

But when the disciples gathered around him, he got up and entered the city.

The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

I'm not sure why I've never fully appreciated Paul's extraordinary performance before.

Maybe as Luke wrote Acts, those brief lines were an intentional understatement.

Or maybe it was careless comprehension on my part.

Now I see. 
Paul was sufficiently battered that those smashing him with hefty stones thought he was dead.

Then they dragged his body from the city.

A good dragging can be just as effectively fatal as a good stoning.

And yet, a little later, he was able to get up again—I guess when he regained consciousness.

And he was brave or crazy enough to go back into the city.

And then the next day he set out on a 60-mile trek to carry the Gospel to Derbe.

How have I failed to be impressed with all that?

Rather than blame myself, I'm going to go with Luke's understatement.

It isn't the classic understatement that makes a conscious effort to minimize a point.

Either to soften a blow, or to draw added attention by the obvious understatement.

It's merely a statement of some relevant facts that aren't viewed as the main point.

Luke's main point was that the Gospel was spreading widely among the Gentiles.

Paul would agree; it's just a side-note that he was taking a real beating in the process.

Jesus himself uses a bit of understatement in today's Gospel.

I will no longer speak much with you ...

Well yeah—in a few hours he's going to be arrested, beaten, scourged and crucified.

He's using understatement to soften the blow of the news as he says farewell.

How were Jesus and Paul so easily able to understate their works?

They had that special Peace, that Peace of Christ.

That Peace that comes from knowing what really matters in this life.

That conviction that we're doing God's work.

That He's with us,

That He'll take care of us.

In response to today's reading we might want to ask ourselves,

What works am I doing that are worthy of understatement?

Tuesday, 5th Week of  Easter

Jn 14:27-31          Read this Scripture @usccb.org