In John 23 the high priest, Ananias, orders those standing
near Paul to “strike him on the mouth”.
We may consider such a command somewhat surprising coming from a high
ranking official although perhaps not as surprising as Paul’s reply in
describing Ananias as a “whitewashed wall” – an accusation of hypocrisy where
the illusion is to a dirty wall being made clean by the application of a thin
layer of whitewash.
What makes this accusation so surprising is that Paul is
addressing the high priest - a man who, in the eyes of the members of the
council, was appointed by God. Paul
claims that he did not realise that he was addressing the high priest but it
does seem somewhat surprising that he did not know who he was addressing. Some commentators have suggested that this
may have been because of Paul’s poor eyesight or the fact that he simply did
not know who he was. However, others
have suggested that the more likely explanation is that Paul was speaking out
of irony i.e. that he could not believe that such an order could come from a
man who purported to be the high priest.
All three of today’s passages remind us of the way in which
violence is often a reaction to those who preach the good news. In John 19 the soldiers displayed violence
against Jesus having placed a crown of thorns on his head and struck him in the
face. Similarly, in Jeremiah 33, the
words of comfort spoken by the prophet came to him when he was in prison.
No confinement or violence can deprive God's people of His
presence. Indeed it is often in such conditions
that God’s grace abounds and we find our greatest strength in Him.
(member of the PCC)