Thoughts for the Day

Festus Consults King Agrippa

After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to welcome Festus. Since they were staying there for several days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, ‘There is a man here who was left in prison by Felix. When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me about him and asked for a sentence against him. I told them that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over anyone before the accused had met the accusers face to face and had been given an opportunity to make a defence against the charge. So when they met here, I lost no time, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. When the accusers stood up, they did not charge him with any of the crimes that I was expecting. Instead they had certain points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. Since I was at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wished to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges. But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of his Imperial Majesty, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to the emperor.’ Agrippa said to Festus, ‘I would like to hear the man myself.’ ‘Tomorrow’, he said, ‘you will hear him.’

Paul Brought before Agrippa

So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then Festus gave the order and Paul was brought in. And Festus said, ‘King Agrippa and all here present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish community petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. But I found that he had done nothing deserving death; and when he appealed to his Imperial Majesty, I decided to send him. But I have nothing definite to write to our sovereign about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write—for it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner without indicating the charges against him.’

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Luke, the beloved Physician, in his account of Paul's journeys in Chapter 25 of the Acts of the Apostles, has the apostle still in prison under a new Roman Governor, Festus, and Festus has a problem. Every Roman citizen (with some exceptions like being a murderer) had the right to appeal to the Emperor. Since this was what Paul did because he didn't expect a fair trial in Jerusalem, there should have been no problem, but Festus is a fair man and he needs to formally charge Paul with something. He cannot find anything under Roman law, only a dispute about Jewish religious practices. which is not his concern unless it gets out of control.

Because Festus is a new Roman Governor, Herod Agrippa II arrives to introduce himself, along with his sister Berenice. Agrippa was still king of Galilee and Perea at this time - it was his his great-grandfather that had tried to kill Jesus as a baby; while his grandfather had beheaded John the Baptist; and his father had martyred the first apostle, James. Now Paul stood before the next in line of the Herods! Agrippa needed to keep in with the Roman authorities who kept him in his kingdom, so he would have come in state, but he was also considered to be knowledgeable about Jewish affairs, so although Paul is called from prison it is to stand before a hearing rather than a court room. After all he has already claimed an Imperial sentencing!

Festus opens the hearing neither leaning one way or another concerning the charge against Paul. How will this inheritor of such a murderous family respond to Paul's appeal - we will have to wait for the next episode!

Heavenly Father,
we pray for all caught up in war torn countries,
especially for those who are innocent.
We ask your blessing on families
who simply live in the wrong place at the wrong time,
and who stand to lose their homes and their lives.
We pray for agencies who seek to bring about peace
and for men and women of sense to make decisions
that lead to peace.
Amen.