Acts 28:8

“And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him.” — Acts 28:8

Paul and 275 other crew members and passengers of an Alexandrian ship had just survived a two-week storm on the Mediterranean Sea. The violent tempest destroyed their ship, yet not one life was lost exactly as God had promised Paul. When they finally reached the island of Malta, cold, exhausted, and hungry. The native people received them with unusual kindness, building fires and showing compassion to strangers who had washed ashore. That word unusual is significant. It’s the same word used in Acts 19:11, where it says that “God did unusual miracles by the hands of Paul.” Even later, when Paul testified before King Agrippa, he declared that the same God who worked in unusual ways to help him was still at work here on Malta. The Lord never left nor forsook Paul.

When God sent His angel to bring a message to Paul that not a single person on the ship would perish. The very presence of that angel not only to deliver a message but also a assurance of God’s protection. Throughout Scripture, whenever angels appear, they come with two purposes: to speak God’s word and to guard God’s people.

Then Publius, the chief man of the island who had shown Paul and all the people with him great kindness, had a father who was lying in bed, sick with fever and dysentery. Dysentery is a serious intestinal infection that causes recurring fever and weakness, leaving a person bedridden and frail.

When Paul heard about the man’s condition after being welcomed into the home, he went in to minister to him. Notice what Paul did first. Before laying his hands on him, he prayed to God.

There are two things the Lord would have us learn from this passage.

First, we see a man who had gone through more trials than most people could ever bear. Paul was beaten, falsely accused, imprisoned, shipwrecked, and even bitten by a venomous snake. Yet through all of this, he never allowed his suffering to silence his service. Instead of becoming bitter, he became better. Even after enduring so much pain and exhaustion, Paul still had the strength to minister to others. He went in to see Publius’s father, sought the Lord in prayer before him, and God healed the man. Soon after, all the sick people of Malta were brought to Paul, and they too were healed.

Even though Luke does not mention Paul preaching directly, knowing Paul’s heart, we can be sure he proclaimed the gospel to the people of Malta. Paul knew that “the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16). He understood that the greatest miracle he could offer these people was not just physical healing, but the message that could save their souls. Wherever the gospel is preached, miracles and healings follow as signs just as Jesus instructed His disciples, “And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:7–8)

Paul did not complain or cry out about what he had gone through. He remained immovable and persevered. While he could have chosen to sit down and let others serve him, Paul instead chose to serve. He gathered sticks for the fire, ministered to those around him, and showed appreciation for the people’s kindness. Paul shows us that God’s power and mercy are never limited by circumstance because he did not allow circumstance to dictate the outcome. His condition did not determine his calling, nor did hardship define his ability to serve. True servants of God don’t stop serving because of hardship; they keep going because the Holy Spirit is within them, comforting, strengthening, and working through them. When our strength runs out, God’s strength takes over. As Paul himself said, “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

The very storm that seemed to bring chaos into Paul’s life was the same storm that brought him to Malta. Through that storm, God led him to the people who needed to hear the gospel. And God demonstrated His loving hand through Paul’s healing ministry among them. The Kingdom of God had come to that island, and healing and restoration began to flow.

Sometimes the hardships and difficulties we face discourage us, weaken our faith, or make us think that God is punishing us. But Jesus said, “It is finished.” He already paid the price for our sins. Our struggles are not signs of God’s wrath, but opportunities for His glory to be revealed through us.

Second, we see the people of Malta, whom Luke describes as barbarians. This means they did not speak Greek or Latin; they were strangers to the Roman and Greek world. Yet their manner of life and worship was the same as other heathen nations, for they were idolaters and had no knowledge of the one true and living God. When they saw the viper fasten itself upon Paul’s hand, they immediately supposed that vengeance or divine justice had overtaken him, believing he was a murderer who had escaped the sea but could not escape judgment. But when Paul shook off the serpent into the fire and suffered no harm, their thoughts were turned, and they said among themselves that he was a god.

This reveals that these people had no understanding of the God Paul served. Like many who live without truth, they interpreted divine power through superstition. In their spiritual blindness, they could not distinguish between the Creator and His servant. But Paul, being wise and discerning, was careful in how he responded.  Paul understood the mindset of these people, for he had already encountered this kind of heathen thinking before. When he and Barnabas were at Lystra, the Lord used them mightily to demonstrate His power by healing a man who had been lame from birth. When the people saw the miracle, they lifted up their voices, saying, “The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.” They called Barnabas, Jupiter, and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. But when Paul and Barnabas heard this, they rent their clothes and ran in among the people, crying out and saying, “Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein” (Acts 14:11–15).

So when Paul entered into the house of Publius and found his father sick with fever and dysentery, he prayed before them all; the chief men of the island, the household, and those who stood by to witness it. Then he laid his hands upon the man, and the Lord raised him up. By this, Paul made it known that the healing virtue came not from man, but from God alone, who is rich in mercy and mighty to save. In that moment, Paul taught them how to seek the Lord for every need whether for healing of the body, strength in weakness, or deliverance from bondage.

These people knew not the true God, for darkness had long covered their hearts. Paul understood that words alone could not persuade them; the gospel must be both proclaimed and proven. His actions preached louder than his voice. Through his conduct and compassion, he showed them what it means to serve the living God. Thus was fulfilled the word of our Lord Jesus, who said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:–16).

And now this same truth is set before us. Let not your circumstances hinder you from serving the Lord or ministering to others. The trials you face may well become the very platform upon which the glory of God shall be revealed. Our calling is not only to preach or to teach the Word of God, but to live it, to manifest it through our deeds, compassion, and holiness of life. For men are often drawn to God not by the eloquence of our speech, but by the evidence of our faith.