Post by Rob W. Case on Mar 17, 2020 19:45:28 GMT -6
Editor's Note: It has been a tradition since the establishment of the Making Sense website to restore (in gritty detail) the original meanings of the Holidays we celebrate, as well as stir up and articulate the spirit behind the eternal hope that each of them offers for all time. In that spirit, I offer you an expanded version of my piece for St. Patrick’s Day entitled, "Patrick: Deliverer of the Emerald Isle." Enjoy!
What comes to mind when you see or hear about the Holiday known as St. Patrick’s Day? Let me guess; Leprechauns, green clothing, four leaf clovers (Shamrocks), corned beef and cabbage, cheap beer at the bar, Irish (celtic) music, and (at least for me, anyway) those minty Shamrock shakes from Mc Donald’s. But have you ever wondered about the actual history behind the man whom the holiday is dedicated to? The man and the story behind all of the “green” is far more intriguing, and in this article, we will look at a man who, by divine direction, transformed the nation of Ireland, and was only able to do it, and do it effectively because of the work that God did within him.
Patrick was born in 397 A.D. in the village of Bannavem Taburniae in Roman occupied Britain. His father was both a preacher and part of the aristocracy within the British colonies. Christianity was at that point (on account of Emperor Constantine) the official religion of the Roman Empire. Despite his privileged background and talk of God all around him, Patrick grew up with not much heed to what his father had to say. Wealthy and care-free, Patrick did not listen, much less care about Christianity. All he cared about was having a good time with his friends.
A Rude Awakening:
When he was 16 years old, Patrick was fishing with one of his friends on his father’s estate. While fishing, the estate was raided by a party of slavemasters. What they would do is kidnap thousands of young men (energetic and strong) and export them to Ireland, a place located West of Great Britain, in the continent of Europe, where they would be sold into slavery.
The Culture of 5th century Ireland:
The people of Ireland were very different than what Patrick was used to. The Irish people were very barbaric, war minded, and evil. They were warriors. They were head hunters. The measure of a man would be determined by how many heads a warrior chopped off in battle. It was believed by the Irish that the soul was contained in the head, so if you chopped off the head of your enemy, it was believed that you would have their souls. They were pagans, and their religion was predominantly known as Druidism, which deified nature, Earth, spirits of the woodland, sun “gods”, etc. It was heavy in occult practices (opening the door to demonic influences), and divination, contributing more and more “energy” if you will to their barbaric nature.
The Next Step for Patrick:
When Patrick was taken to Ireland, he was sold to an Irish chieftain, and his job was to take care of sheep. Homesick, alone, and mentally distraught from the horrible experiences he faced, his outlook on ever returning to his family became more and more hopeless. And it’s not as if he could easily escape. In Ireland at that time, whenever a slave would escape, or if anyone aided a slave from escaping, the consequences would be punishable by death. And so, days, weeks, months, and years would pass. Alone, afraid, and broken, Patrick started to begin to think about the very God his father often talked about. As Patrick himself stated in his autobiography.....
And there the Lord opened my mind to an awareness of my unbelief, in order that, even so late, I might remember my transgressions and turn with all my heart to the Lord my God, who had regard for my insignificance and pitied my youth and ignorance. And he watched over me before I knew him, and before I learned sense or even distinguished between good and evil, and he protected me, and consoled me as a father would his son.
Not only did Patrick seek after God in what was now the deepest, darkest, troubled moment in his life….. but he found Him, and in the process, was humbled tremendously by his experiences. The more humbled he was, the more dependent on God he was. And the more dependent on God, he was, his faith grew. Transforming from someone who had it all, took the Gospel preached all around him for granted, to a broken, fearful, hopeless young man, his urge to seek God increased. In praying and talking to God, he turned his heart over by faith to Christ. For 6 years, Patrick was in Ireland as a slave.
Tests of Faith:
One night in his sleep, Patrick heard a voice that changed the entire direction of his life.
As he explained…..
And it was there of course that one night in my sleep I heard a voice saying to me: You do well to fast: soon you will depart for your home country.' And again, a very short time later, there was a voice prophesying: Behold, your ship is ready.'
What would you do in that situation? Would you go with it, or would you doubt it? Patrick decided to risk it all, and go with what the voice told him. As Patrick explained…..
And it was not close by, but, as it happened, two hundred miles away, where I had never been nor knew any person. And shortly thereafter I turned about and fled from the man with whom I had been for six years, and I came, by the power of God who directed my route to advantage (and I was afraid of nothing), until I reached that ship.
His faith led him directly to the ship he was promised in his dream. But there was a stumbling block. This was a true test of faith. As Patrick himself explained…
And on the same day that I arrived, the ship was setting out from the place, and I said that I had the wherewithal to sail with them; and the steersman was displeased and replied in anger, sharply: By no means attempt to go with us.' Hearing this I left them to go to the hut where I was staying, and on the way I began to pray, and before the prayer was finished I heard one of them shouting loudly after me: Come quickly because the men are calling you.' And immediately I went back to them and they started to say to me: Come, because we are admitting you out of good faith; make friendship with us in any way you wish.' (And so, on that day, I refused to suck the breasts of these men from fear of God, but nevertheless I had hopes that they would come to faith in Jesus Christ, because they were barbarians.) And for this I continued with them, and forthwith we put to sea.
After numerous challenges, going to other places, and enduring moments of spiritual warfare, mixed with uncertainty at every corner, Patrick’s faith sustained him, and his influence caused people to take notice. And yet, Patrick finally returned to his home in Britain. Upon returning, Patrick knew that he would have to catch up on his education, to cover the lost years that he had been a slave. And so he became educated, sought to be ordained in the ministry.
Some 20 years passed and another message had reached his ears in a similar way when Patrick was told that a ship awaited him. This time, the Lord communicated to Patrick by telling him to return to Ireland and let the Irish people know about the good news of Jesus Christ. Patrick would have never done it on his own. Any other person would return to such a place only to seek revenge, and struggle greatly with even the mere thought of going back (and for good reason). But Patrick’s thought process reversed due to the progressing transformation of his heart. As Patrick himself explained…
I never had any reason, except the Gospel and his promises, ever to have returned to that nation from which I had previously escaped with difficulty.
Just as Christ said on the cross regarding the evil soldiers who mocked him, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34), God’s growing influence in his life transformed his thinking. When he returned to Ireland, he met the Irish where they were. He remembered their protocols and customs, built relationships due to them, talked to the people, and told them about God and the sacrifice Christ made on the cross for them.
The Reception to the Gospel:
Patrick’s words were very different than what they were used to. Yet nonetheless, they were interested in what he had to say, and listened to him. Patrick started a church in Ireland, told them that there was a God who loved them so much, that he sent his only begotten son to die for their sins in their place if they would only accept him into their hearts by their own will. Paganism does not have any of that. Paganism lacks forgiveness, patience, love, care, self-control and other uncommon traits by the dictates of this world. Heck, Paganism is completely void of the fruits of the Spirit working in a person’s heart as described in Galatians 5:22-23! Only Christ offers that, and he promises that he will receive anyone willing to come to him to ask for salvation.
The message caught on, and that power at work spread like wildfire. Patrick established over 300 churches in Ireland, and ended up baptizing over a third of its population. Sure, he had his challenges, and intense moments of spiritual warfare, but regardless of the challenges coming his way, he saw the importance of what he was doing and appreciated how God used him to do it. As Patrick himself explained….
I am greatly God's debtor, because he granted me so much grace, that through me many people would be reborn in God…..and that clergy would be ordained everywhere for them, the masses lately come to belief, whom the Lord drew from the ends of the earth, just as he once promised through his prophets: To you shall the nations come from the ends of the earth, and shall say, "Our fathers have inherited naught but lies, worthless things in which there is no profit."' And again: I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles that you may bring salvation to the uttermost ends of the earth.'
Of course, this transformative effect did not come without its own share of epic battles, some personal, others from the outside. What we can learn from Patrick is that when we are broken, shaken, afraid, and at the end of ourselves, God is right there. And from there, if you yield to Him to do a work in you and through you, He will change you, your sense of priority, your purpose, and from that, have an impact. Patrick did not continue living the privileged life that he was born into. He worked for 40 years in Ireland traveling, teaching, and working hard. He died on March 17th, 461 A.D. in the townland of Saul, where he started the first church in Ireland in 432 A.D.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
What comes to mind when you see or hear about the Holiday known as St. Patrick’s Day? Let me guess; Leprechauns, green clothing, four leaf clovers (Shamrocks), corned beef and cabbage, cheap beer at the bar, Irish (celtic) music, and (at least for me, anyway) those minty Shamrock shakes from Mc Donald’s. But have you ever wondered about the actual history behind the man whom the holiday is dedicated to? The man and the story behind all of the “green” is far more intriguing, and in this article, we will look at a man who, by divine direction, transformed the nation of Ireland, and was only able to do it, and do it effectively because of the work that God did within him.
Patrick was born in 397 A.D. in the village of Bannavem Taburniae in Roman occupied Britain. His father was both a preacher and part of the aristocracy within the British colonies. Christianity was at that point (on account of Emperor Constantine) the official religion of the Roman Empire. Despite his privileged background and talk of God all around him, Patrick grew up with not much heed to what his father had to say. Wealthy and care-free, Patrick did not listen, much less care about Christianity. All he cared about was having a good time with his friends.
A Rude Awakening:
When he was 16 years old, Patrick was fishing with one of his friends on his father’s estate. While fishing, the estate was raided by a party of slavemasters. What they would do is kidnap thousands of young men (energetic and strong) and export them to Ireland, a place located West of Great Britain, in the continent of Europe, where they would be sold into slavery.
The Culture of 5th century Ireland:
The people of Ireland were very different than what Patrick was used to. The Irish people were very barbaric, war minded, and evil. They were warriors. They were head hunters. The measure of a man would be determined by how many heads a warrior chopped off in battle. It was believed by the Irish that the soul was contained in the head, so if you chopped off the head of your enemy, it was believed that you would have their souls. They were pagans, and their religion was predominantly known as Druidism, which deified nature, Earth, spirits of the woodland, sun “gods”, etc. It was heavy in occult practices (opening the door to demonic influences), and divination, contributing more and more “energy” if you will to their barbaric nature.
The Next Step for Patrick:
When Patrick was taken to Ireland, he was sold to an Irish chieftain, and his job was to take care of sheep. Homesick, alone, and mentally distraught from the horrible experiences he faced, his outlook on ever returning to his family became more and more hopeless. And it’s not as if he could easily escape. In Ireland at that time, whenever a slave would escape, or if anyone aided a slave from escaping, the consequences would be punishable by death. And so, days, weeks, months, and years would pass. Alone, afraid, and broken, Patrick started to begin to think about the very God his father often talked about. As Patrick himself stated in his autobiography.....
And there the Lord opened my mind to an awareness of my unbelief, in order that, even so late, I might remember my transgressions and turn with all my heart to the Lord my God, who had regard for my insignificance and pitied my youth and ignorance. And he watched over me before I knew him, and before I learned sense or even distinguished between good and evil, and he protected me, and consoled me as a father would his son.
Not only did Patrick seek after God in what was now the deepest, darkest, troubled moment in his life….. but he found Him, and in the process, was humbled tremendously by his experiences. The more humbled he was, the more dependent on God he was. And the more dependent on God, he was, his faith grew. Transforming from someone who had it all, took the Gospel preached all around him for granted, to a broken, fearful, hopeless young man, his urge to seek God increased. In praying and talking to God, he turned his heart over by faith to Christ. For 6 years, Patrick was in Ireland as a slave.
Tests of Faith:
One night in his sleep, Patrick heard a voice that changed the entire direction of his life.
As he explained…..
And it was there of course that one night in my sleep I heard a voice saying to me: You do well to fast: soon you will depart for your home country.' And again, a very short time later, there was a voice prophesying: Behold, your ship is ready.'
What would you do in that situation? Would you go with it, or would you doubt it? Patrick decided to risk it all, and go with what the voice told him. As Patrick explained…..
And it was not close by, but, as it happened, two hundred miles away, where I had never been nor knew any person. And shortly thereafter I turned about and fled from the man with whom I had been for six years, and I came, by the power of God who directed my route to advantage (and I was afraid of nothing), until I reached that ship.
His faith led him directly to the ship he was promised in his dream. But there was a stumbling block. This was a true test of faith. As Patrick himself explained…
And on the same day that I arrived, the ship was setting out from the place, and I said that I had the wherewithal to sail with them; and the steersman was displeased and replied in anger, sharply: By no means attempt to go with us.' Hearing this I left them to go to the hut where I was staying, and on the way I began to pray, and before the prayer was finished I heard one of them shouting loudly after me: Come quickly because the men are calling you.' And immediately I went back to them and they started to say to me: Come, because we are admitting you out of good faith; make friendship with us in any way you wish.' (And so, on that day, I refused to suck the breasts of these men from fear of God, but nevertheless I had hopes that they would come to faith in Jesus Christ, because they were barbarians.) And for this I continued with them, and forthwith we put to sea.
After numerous challenges, going to other places, and enduring moments of spiritual warfare, mixed with uncertainty at every corner, Patrick’s faith sustained him, and his influence caused people to take notice. And yet, Patrick finally returned to his home in Britain. Upon returning, Patrick knew that he would have to catch up on his education, to cover the lost years that he had been a slave. And so he became educated, sought to be ordained in the ministry.
Some 20 years passed and another message had reached his ears in a similar way when Patrick was told that a ship awaited him. This time, the Lord communicated to Patrick by telling him to return to Ireland and let the Irish people know about the good news of Jesus Christ. Patrick would have never done it on his own. Any other person would return to such a place only to seek revenge, and struggle greatly with even the mere thought of going back (and for good reason). But Patrick’s thought process reversed due to the progressing transformation of his heart. As Patrick himself explained…
I never had any reason, except the Gospel and his promises, ever to have returned to that nation from which I had previously escaped with difficulty.
Just as Christ said on the cross regarding the evil soldiers who mocked him, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34), God’s growing influence in his life transformed his thinking. When he returned to Ireland, he met the Irish where they were. He remembered their protocols and customs, built relationships due to them, talked to the people, and told them about God and the sacrifice Christ made on the cross for them.
The Reception to the Gospel:
Patrick’s words were very different than what they were used to. Yet nonetheless, they were interested in what he had to say, and listened to him. Patrick started a church in Ireland, told them that there was a God who loved them so much, that he sent his only begotten son to die for their sins in their place if they would only accept him into their hearts by their own will. Paganism does not have any of that. Paganism lacks forgiveness, patience, love, care, self-control and other uncommon traits by the dictates of this world. Heck, Paganism is completely void of the fruits of the Spirit working in a person’s heart as described in Galatians 5:22-23! Only Christ offers that, and he promises that he will receive anyone willing to come to him to ask for salvation.
The message caught on, and that power at work spread like wildfire. Patrick established over 300 churches in Ireland, and ended up baptizing over a third of its population. Sure, he had his challenges, and intense moments of spiritual warfare, but regardless of the challenges coming his way, he saw the importance of what he was doing and appreciated how God used him to do it. As Patrick himself explained….
I am greatly God's debtor, because he granted me so much grace, that through me many people would be reborn in God…..and that clergy would be ordained everywhere for them, the masses lately come to belief, whom the Lord drew from the ends of the earth, just as he once promised through his prophets: To you shall the nations come from the ends of the earth, and shall say, "Our fathers have inherited naught but lies, worthless things in which there is no profit."' And again: I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles that you may bring salvation to the uttermost ends of the earth.'
Of course, this transformative effect did not come without its own share of epic battles, some personal, others from the outside. What we can learn from Patrick is that when we are broken, shaken, afraid, and at the end of ourselves, God is right there. And from there, if you yield to Him to do a work in you and through you, He will change you, your sense of priority, your purpose, and from that, have an impact. Patrick did not continue living the privileged life that he was born into. He worked for 40 years in Ireland traveling, teaching, and working hard. He died on March 17th, 461 A.D. in the townland of Saul, where he started the first church in Ireland in 432 A.D.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
