49th Day of Easter, Saturday May 30: Acts 28:17-29

Paul starts preaching to the Jews, claiming to have been unjustly charged, and not charging Jews in turn. They deny hearing anything bad about him from Judea, and invite him to present his thoughts and teaching, to defend his unpopular sect.

He teaches at his lodgings, to great crowds. Some believed, but others refused. Paul quotes Isaiah’s prophecy of people who listen but never understand, look, but never perceive, dull of heart, deaf of ear, closed eyes – lest God heal. Do you ever recognize an unresponsive crowd?

Paul concludes that God’s salvation will be sent to the Gentiles, since they will listen. Are we a religious and deaf crowd, or a secular and attentive one? Thus is concluded the great argumentative arc, to end as it began.