“Acts 22:17-31”

Saturday, February 13, 2016

“’It happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance, and I saw Him saying to me, “Make haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.” And I said, “Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You. And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.” And He said to me, “Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.”’ They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, ‘Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!’ And as they were crying out and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air, the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, stating that he should be examined by scourging so that he might find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way. But when they stretched him out with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, ‘Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?’ When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and told him, saying, ‘What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.’ The commander came and said to him, ‘Tell me, are you a Roman?’ And he said, ‘Yes.’ The commander answered, ‘I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.’ And Paul said, ‘But I was actually born a citizen.’ Therefore those who were about to examine him immediately let go of him; and the commander also was afraid when he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had put him in chains. But on the next day, wishing to know for certain why he had been accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Council to assemble, and brought Paul down and set him before them.”
---End of Scripture verses---

I can’t help but laugh when I read the words of verse 23. I’m sorry but the mental image of grown men being so angry that they would tear up their own clothing and throw dust in the air is just comical to me. I can see them stomping around like big babies and holding their breath too, just because someone said something that they didn’t agree with. I know that times have changed considerably but these gestures just seem universally ridiculous to me.

What is even more ridiculous, but not remotely humorous, is just how prejudiced human beings can be toward one another. The statement that sent these men into a blind fury was that Jesus sent Paul “far away to the Gentiles” (verse 21). Because Paul suggested that the Messiah had appointed him to teach people with a different physical lineage that they could be God’s people, these men ranted, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!” (verse 22) God help us to never harbor hatred and animosity toward a fellow human being created in His own image, just because of trivial fleshly differences.

Let’s read some familiar Bible verses to remind us that God wants His children to view all people as valuable and important to Him, no matter what they look like, sound like, how old or young they are, whether they are rich or poor, male or female, what country they were born in, or any other trifling thing that might distinguish us from one another.

Acts 17:24-28 – “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.’”

Colossians 3:5-11 – “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him — a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.”

1 Timothy 2:1-6 – “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.”

Let’s try to see as God sees. Man looks at the outside but God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

Please read Acts 23:1-11 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

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