Think about life at age 15. Hopefully you encounter mostly positive memories. Now, imagine being kidnapped from your family and friends to become a slave in a foreign land. Does this sound like a character in the Bible? It isn’t. Think we’re full of blarney? Listen on.

<p>Think about life at age 15. Hopefully you encounter mostly positive memories. Now, imagine being kidnapped from your family and friends to become a slave in a foreign land. Does this sound like a character in the Bible? It isn’t. Think we’re full of blarney? Listen on.</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

GYC Southeast

Rhonda Grakov

Great in God's Sight Season 1

John: the Soul that Knows its Worth

Polycarp: Eighty-Six Years

Justin Martyr: Philosopher to Child of God

Patrick: Unlikely Freedom

Thomas: The Other Half of Faith

Columba: The Dove of Scotland

Jerome, Cyril, and Methodius: Bibles for East and West

William Wilberforce, Part 1: The Great Change

William Wilberforce, Part 2: The Great Cause

Mark: One Young Man


Hello and welcome to Grading God's Sight, the podcast that explores underrated heroes. We're so glad you've joined us for this episode entitled, Patrick, Unlikely Freedom. Please be sure to subscribe and visit our website at thegreatpodcast.org. That's thegreatpodcast.org. Thanks for listening!

Occasional bleeding from a sheep or Goat interrupted the stillness. Just another night on the farm. The local human population had turned in for sleep a good 3 hours earlier. Above the quaint village, the night sky hosted myriads of dimly twinkling stars. Poor lighting, combined with placid weather, made this night perfect for an escape.

Calmly, a young man traversed the shadows until he reached the edge of his master's farm. 6 years he'd spent tilling, shearing, and feeding. Finally, after much prayer and fasting, God told him in a dream that his time for escape had come. Patrick stared into an uncertain future as he stepped outside the boundaries of his master's farm on that dark night. The damp Irish air clung to his ragged clothing.

A long and arduous journey awaited him if he hoped to return home. At twenty-one, he had undergone a significant physical and spiritual maturing, 1 that his parents would likely marvel at. 6 years before, a surprise attack by Irish pirates forced fifteen-year-old Patrick to face the most brutal realities of life. His memory easily recalled how friends and servants were threatened, beaten, or killed, all before his eyes. For a favored child of noble parentage, this day must have shocked him in a way that no other experience could.

His full name, Patricius, reflected his class and Roman citizenship. His grandfather achieved the title of priest, and his father served as deacon and town official in their modest village. Patrick's parents fully expected their son to continue another generation in the upper social levels of Roman-occupied Britain. Prior to his capture and enslavement, Patrick shared little enthusiasm for his father's church title or for any religious matters. God didn't seem real to him, and his lack of faith reflected it.

Becoming a slave forced him into a new reality. The luxury of his former days was over, and he no longer enjoyed access to church or to the scriptures. In desperation, he discovered that he had no friend but God. Isn't it interesting how hardship glues the soul to God when all other hope seems lost? In his experience, Patrick transitioned from a formalist view of religion to a gritty and practical view of Jesus.

He came to believe that his capture and slavery were punishment because his countrymen had departed from God's teachings. This thought echoed the profound change of character that he underwent during his years of enslavement. While tending sheep on his master's farm, Patrick eagerly sought assistance from the god of his parents. All previous doubts disappeared with a few sessions on his knees. Prayer and fasting became the focus of his otherwise uneventful life, until 1 night when he had a dream.

In the dream, a voice explained to Patrick that his prayers had been heard and a specific ship was prepared to take him back to Britain. In spite of the divine assurance, it required an act of faith for Patrick to request passage on the ordained ship. His tattered and lean appearance betrayed his identity as a fugitive slave. With some persistence, and God's intervening, the captain and crew eventually welcomed him on board, and a new chapter in his eventful life began. He would soon return to Ireland, not as a slave, but as a missionary.

As Exciting as Patrick's life seems, his daring escape serves as a mild example of the adventures associated with his name. A casual web search for St. Patrick will result in a labyrinth of information. It's Difficult to estimate the accuracy of many of Patrick's legends, so much was carried down by oral tradition over many generations. Many of these stories are exotic and bizarre, such as the time he chased all the snakes out of Ireland.

Others reflect regional rivalries, such as the location of his death. Today, Irish tourism relies heavily on the retelling of these stories, so it's unlikely that they will simply disappear. Thankfully, 2 documents exist which originated from Patrick's own pen, his letter to the soldiers of Caratacus and his confession. Patrick's frankness in describing his own faults and failures gives the writings authority. Although they may have been modified from the originals, these documents form the backbone of any reliable sketch of his life.

Patrick's confession provides a retelling of his capture and enslavement. Its primary purpose, however, was to legitimize God's call on his life and defend his work against accusations made by church leaders in Britain. Their attack centered on an unnamed sin Patrick committed in boyhood. We don't know what it was, but it gave them an excuse to assault Patrick's character. Why would they treat a fellow minister of the gospel in this way?

The answer is simple. The fifth-century church was not immune to greed. Patrick's initial mission among the Irish must have seemed like a death wish to his peers. Yet, as his work continued and he baptized new Christians, the Irish church expanded. With this expansion came profitability.

Many church leaders in Britain noted this change. Patrick did not seem to be aware of his opponent's jealousy, yet he vigorously denied any corruption on his part. His confession explains how Christian women would offer him their jewelry, but he chose not to accept it. If the Irish locals noticed him taking bribes, his entire ministry would have been jeopardized. His fragile church had enough challenges to face already.

Another issue that may have angered Patrick's peers in Britain was his letter to Coroticus. Coroticus, leading an armed band of ruffians, brutalized a group of Patrick's newly baptized Irish Christians, killing the men and enslaving the women and children. To make matters worse, the warlord and his men came from Britain. It enraged Patrick that his so-called Christian countrymen would kill and enslave new Irish converts. His letter declared Caraticus and his soldiers to be vicious wolves in desperate need of repentance.

Patrick's response may be appropriate by today's standards, but contemporary church bishops would not tolerate Patrick meddling in local affairs. They expected him to ask a church leader living in Britain to rebuke the soldiers. Instead, Patrick spoke directly against the men and their crime. His boldness reflected his belief that true authority came from God. No human figure could threaten Patrick into remaining silent about such an injustice.

While many of the details surrounding Patrick's life remain a mystery, the important facts that relate to his faith are quite clear. His experience watching over sheep as a slave drew him closer to God and prepared him for his future ministry in Ireland. His enslavement forced him to learn the Irish language, which served him well later as a missionary. Patrick's story resembles the narratives of Joseph and Moses. Joseph was enslaved, and Moses became a shepherd for 40 years.

Like them, Patrick was taken from a life of comfort and taught the importance of service. God knew this would build his faith and prepare him for greater responsibilities. It's important to note that Patrick did not let this humbling experience discourage him. Instead, he earnestly reached out to God for help. The true test of Patrick's character, however, came when he returned home from slavery.

He could have easily settled back into a life of relative luxury, but his conscience wouldn't allow this. Instead, God reminded him of the need to share the gospel with the Irish. In answering this call, Patrick abandoned the lucrative opportunity to continue family tradition as a church official in his hometown. Friends and parents must have urged him to remain in Britain. Few understood his motives.

Patrick might have wavered had it not been for the sovereignty of God's command. Verses from the Bible saturate his writings, and Jesus' Great Commission is referenced several times. Patrick firmly believed in taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth, and for him, this meant seeking the salvation of his previous captors. Would we do the same? Thank you for listening to Great In God's Sight, a podcast by GYC Southeast.

We hope you have enjoyed this adventure through time and pray it serves to deepen your relationship with God. Each episode aims to draw insight from the life of 1 individual. While we strive to bring you a unique perspective on each believer, we encourage you to use your God-given curiosity to explore these topics for yourself. Please remember to hit the subscribe button and share this episode with your friends via text or social media. You never know who might be encouraged!

Until next time, we wish you God's blessing as you seek to be great in His sight too.

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Series

Great in God's Sight Season 1

Patrick: Unlikely Freedom

Description

Parent Series

Sponsor

Recorded

Other Teachings in Series

John: the Soul that Knows its Worth

11m

Polycarp: Eighty-Six Years

8m

Justin Martyr: Philosopher to Child of God

11m

Patrick: Unlikely Freedom

10m

Thomas: The Other Half of Faith

9m

Columba: The Dove of Scotland

10m

Jerome, Cyril, and Methodius: Bibles for East and West

10m

William Wilberforce, Part 1: The Great Change

12m

William Wilberforce, Part 2: The Great Cause

13m

Mark: One Young Man

10m

Sound Doctrine