The Ethiopian

Monday February 21, 2022

The Ethiopian

Now an Ethiopian eunuch, high official of Candace, the queen of Ethiopia, and administrator of all her treasures, had come to Jerusalem to worship. He would go back sitting in his chariot, and read the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit said to Philip : Come forward and approach this chariot. Acts 8:27-29

“After many days of travel, the Ethiopian eunuch finally arrived in Jerusalem, the holy city. He couldn't come at a better time. One could have shown this stranger the still bloody place where the cross of the Son of God was erected. He could have found everywhere the imprint that his feet left on the land of Judea... He could have heard in the streets the astonishing preaching of the fishermen of Galilee who announced the gospel to thousands of children of Israel who remained deaf to the voice of their Messiah. He could have heard from their lips : God made both Lord and Messiah this Jesus whom you crucified (Acts 2:36). Never has a soul quenched with peace and truth been closer to the quenching spring. However, an extraordinary thing, this Ethiopian spent time in Jerusalem, without hearing the name of Jesus Christ pronounced and without a single voice speaking to him of the great event of his crucifixion. What happened ? Let us follow in the footsteps of the Ethiopian : he undoubtedly went to the temple, to the priests, the Pharisees. That explains everything... Can they talk to him about Christ, these men who were the enemies of the Savior ? Insensitive to his tenderest appeals as well as to his harshest reproaches, they crucified him with cries of hatred. They hope to have wiped out his memory...

Yesterday Etienne died under their blows, tomorrow it will be Jacques.

This pious Ethiopian who seems so admirably ready to bow before Christ, is going to leave Jerusalem without even having seen his tracks... But he takes with him a portion of the Holy Scriptures. God watches over those who seek him. He sends one of his servants to lead him to the port. What the Pharisees hid from him, the prophet Isaiah will describe to him and Philip will open the Scriptures to him and lead him to the foot of the cross”.

Excerpt from a sermon by E. Bercier

Source (Pleasing the Lord)