“The Exclusive-Inclusive Gospel”
Text: Acts 8:26-40
4-28-2024
Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Do any of you remember the song from 1975, “At Seventeen” by Janis Ian? It’s a sad and touching story of a teenager girl who feels excluded from various groups and activities simply because she’s not popular. She was left out when choosing sides for basketball, dating, and going to the prom. That song was one of my favorites because it described my teenage life. You may not believe this but I was an introvert and shy back then. And I certainly wasn’t popular or part of the “in crowd.” I personally knew the pain of being excluded from these normal activities of teenage life. However, I don’t regret that experience because it made me a stronger person and more sympathetic to others who also feel left out.
Well, this theme of exclusion from a very important group is the key to understanding our text from Acts 8. In it, we’re introduced to an unusual character: The Ethiopian Eunuch. He desperately wanted to be a part of the religious group of Jews who gathered in Jerusalem and worshiped the Lord. He didn’t want to be included simply to be a member of an elite clique. Rather, he wanted to join them as they drew near to God for His blessing. But he was excluded from ever becoming a full-fledged member and enjoying all the privileges that came with it. Let me explain why he had no hope of ever being welcomed into this special group.
First of all, he was from Ethiopia which is located in east central Africa. His dark skin color would not have excluded him or bothered the Jews in the least bit. In Acts chapter 2, on the day of Pentecost, there were people from all over the known world who had made their way to Jerusalem for the festival. They were used to visitors of different ethnic backgrounds. That’s not what made this Ethiopian an outsider. The problem was that he was part of the group called “proselytes of the gate.” These were non-Jews who had come to believe in the true God of Israel and worshiped Him. That explains why this Ethiopian had travelled nearly 200 miles to Jerusalem. These proselytes obeyed the 10 Commandments and other rules but they were not willing to submit to being circumcised. So, they were treated as second-class Jews. When they came to the Temple, they could gather in an outer court for the sacrifices, prayers, and blessings. But they were forbidden from getting as close to the presence of God as a full-fledged Jew. As a group, they were all excluded.
Now, members of that group could be fully included if they’d take the final steps of converting totally to Judaism. However, that was not a possibility for this Ethiopian. He was a eunuch, which means he was a castrated male. In ancient times, that was pretty common for men in a lofty position as treasurer for the Queen of Ethiopia. You see, in order to protect the royal bloodline, the close advisors and servants of the royal family were neutered to prevent any romantic trysts. Most of the time it was done against their will. They didn’t believe in “My body, my choice” back then! Anyway, because of the Ethiopian’s irreversible condition he’d never be welcomed as a real Jew. That’s because in Deuteronomy 23:1, men whose bodies were mutilated like this were excluded from joining the other male Jewish worshipers. The Ethiopian Eunuch had the double whammy against him.
What’s truly amazing is that despite all this he still believed and still worshiped and still sought to know God’s way of salvation. Maybe the words of Psalm 84:10 had inspired his faith where it says, “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” Even though he was treated as an outsider, he still trusted in God’s goodness and mercy. The fact that he owned a scroll containing the Book of Isaiah shows his dedication and the searching desires of his soul because copies of the Scriptures cost tens of thousands of dollars. Deep down he must have believed that regardless of all the religious rejection, God loved him and had a place for him. Something in God’s Word had convinced him that he could be included in God’s eternal kingdom.
Enter Philip. He was the right man for the job of evangelizing this excluded outsider. Before we get to that, you need to know his background. As the Christian Church grew after the day of Pentecost, the Apostles chose 7 deacons to help distribute the donations to the poor and needy so that they could focus their attention on the preaching and teach of the Gospel. Philip was one of those deacons. After the stoning of St. Stephen, the persecution against the Jerusalem church began and Philip escaped to a city in Samaria. While he was there, he shared the Good News about Jesus with them. That may not sound like a big deal to you, but it was. The Jews and the Samaritans hated each other. The Jews despised the Samaritans because they were the descendants of unfaithful Israelites who intermarried with idol worshipping pagans centuries ago. They were half-breeds. Their religious views were all mixed up compared to the Jews. The Samaritans weren’t Gentiles but in the eyes of the Jews they were just as bad because they had betrayed the faith of their fathers. They were definitely excluded outsiders!
Philip was a Jew and the Apostles in Jerusalem wanted to know why in the world he would share the Gospel with these despicable outsiders? Sadly, the Apostles were still stuck in the narrow mindset of their Jewish past. They believed that salvation was intended only for the chosen people of Israel. Thankfully, Philip didn’t see it that way. Guided by the Holy Spirit, he took Jesus at His word when the Lord said to make disciples of all nations. So, he taught the Samaritans about Christ and baptized many of them. When the Apostles heard about it, they sent Peter and John to investigate. They discovered that the Holy Spirit had also freely descended on the Samaritans so they welcomed them as “insiders” of the Christian Church.
Ah, but if you think that was shocking to their sensibilities then hold onto your hat! Shortly after this, Philip was sent by the Holy Spirit to minister to another outsider who was, in some ways, more detestable than the Samaritans. He was told to meet up with this Ethiopian. Philip didn’t know that the man was a eunuch and a gentile who was excluded from fellowship in the Jewish faith. He didn’t know and frankly, he didn’t care. All he saw was a soul that was searching the Word of God, trying desperately to understand it. He didn’t hold back but freely explained how Jesus was the Savior promised in the verses of Isaiah that the Eunuch was reading. Philip only saw a precious soul that Jesus had died for. When the Ethiopian heard about the need to be Baptized, he requested it. Here too, Philip didn’t differentiate between insiders and outsiders when it came to the distribution of God’s grace. He immediately Baptized this man into the Christian faith.
The Ethiopian Eunuch was overjoyed. Think about it. He had endured rejection and segregation from the Jews as he tried to get close to God. He knew he’d never truly be accepted as a fellow believer by them. And yet, he kept the faith and was not deterred. Now, he has been introduced to the Savior who doesn’t receive him as a second-class citizen of the Kingdom. Now, he’s welcomed as a full-fledged child of God. And Philip, the first Christian he as ever met, extends to him the hand of fellowship with no reservations. There’s historical evidence that this Ethiopian Eunuch carried the Gospel back home with him and shared it with his countrymen. The modern Coptic Church in Ethiopia traces its roots and origins back to this man. Imagine that! This outsider who was warmly welcomed into the Christian Church, carried it home to the continent of Africa!
The Ethiopian Eunuch was the first Gentile to be converted to faith in Jesus Christ. But did you ever wonder, “Why him?” I mean, why choose this unusual and odd character? Why not choose the wife of Pontius Pilate? She was interested in Christ and seemed to be a God-fearer. Why not choose someone like her who was more “normal”? Well, that’s exactly why the Holy Spirit chose this Ethiopian outsider. If God favored only “normal” people, then you and I would be left out! I’m serious! He was more “normal” spiritually than we are. Do you really think that you don’t have more spiritual problems and disabilities than that Eunuch? He was devout and sincerely seeking to know God. He was reading and digging into God’s Word trying to understand it better. Be honest. How are you doing with that? You may be offended, but as your Pastor I don’t see very many of you who are as hungry as that outsider to dig deep into God’s Word. Why is that? What did that Ethiopian Eunuch have that you don’t have? Maybe all his rejection and exclusion from the religious group made him hungrier than we are? Maybe we have it too easy and we feel like part of the “in crowd”? As we’ve seen, that’s not always a good place to be.
Do any of you remember the sermon from Good Friday? It was titled “I am Barrabas!” And as we learned, we had a lot in common with that sinner. Well, today’s sermon could have been titled, “I am the Ethiopian Eunuch.” That may make you uncomfortable but it’s true. Aside from all the other factors that excluded him from being close to God, the worst was his physical condition. His mutilated body prevented him from ever being welcomed into the Kingdom of God. It was hopeless because his condition was irreversible. Friends, that’s you and me! When we were born our souls were spiritually mutilated with original sin. Because of it, we were rejected by God’s Law as outsiders. We couldn’t change our status. And yet, God sought us out. He sent our own “Philip” to bring us the Good News and Baptize us into the Christian faith. Receiving God’s grace in those holy waters, we were changed and freely welcomed into the fellowship of God’s chosen people. And now, like that Ethiopian, we can go forward on our journey, rejoicing at what God has done for us. We can go forward, like he did, and take the Good News home with us. Not to a foreign country. Not even 200 miles away, but right here where we live and work and socialize. I dare you to be as dedicated to God’s Word as he was. I dare you to be as bold and trusting as he was. If we will dare to be, the Lord will strengthen and bless our faith in the same way. May God also grant us that same zeal as we leave this place of worship and reach out to all people with the Gospel, regardless of their spiritual condition or status. Amen.
Soli Deo Gloria!