An unlikely source

As Paul continued on his missionary journey, he had a new friend, Silas, join him. They get thrown in prison (as was Paul’s norm and evidently a hazard of being friends with Paul), and at midnight he and Silas are singing when there is an earthquake and the prisoners are all turned loose. Doors opened, chains fell off. Except they don’t make a run for it. They stuck around to tell the jailer about Jesus.

“Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.” (Acts 16:33–34)

Prior to being thrown in prison, Paul and Silas had been stripped, beaten and flogged. Their wounds would have been extensive. And upon getting out of jail, the jailer washed their wounds.

That phrase continues to speak to me. The caring and tending to of our wounds can come from a most unlikely source. Paul didn’t refuse and say “dude, you’re not one of us yet. We need to go find a friend to clean the wound. We can find someone better suited at the local temple.” Paul allowed him to tend to his wounds and then the jailer and his family put their faith in God.

Spiritual wounds, physical wounds, mental wounds — we all have them or have had them. Regardless of who you are or what you believe, wounds must be tended to to prevent further infection or disease. Don’t deny an unlikely source from tending to your wounds. The care you receive might be just what’s needed to enable you to tend to wounds of others.