November 4th - Reflection

Acts 22:22-23:11 (NRSV)
Paul confronts religious leaders

Up to this point they listened to him, but then they shouted, "Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live." And while they were shouting, throwing off their cloaks, and tossing dust into the air, the tribune directed that he was to be brought into the barracks, and ordered him to be examined by flogging, to find out the reason for this outcry against him. But when they had tied him up with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, "Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who is uncondemned?" When the centurion heard that, he went to the tribune and said to him, "What are you about to do? This man is a Roman citizen." The tribune came and asked Paul, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" And he said, "Yes." The tribune answered, "It cost me a large sum of money to get my citizenship." Paul said, "But I was born a citizen." Immediately those who were about to examine him drew back from him; and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.

Since he wanted to find out what Paul was being accused of by the Jews, the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and the entire council to meet. He brought Paul down and had him stand before them.

While Paul was looking intently at the council he said, "Brothers, up to this day I have lived my life with a clear conscience before God." Then the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near him to strike him on the mouth. At this Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting there to judge me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law you order me to be struck?" Those standing nearby said, "Do you dare to insult God's high priest?" And Paul said, "I did not realize, brothers, that he was high priest; for it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a leader of your people.'"

When Paul noticed that some were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he called out in the council, "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead." When he said this, a dissension began between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge all three.) Then a great clamor arose, and certain scribes of the Pharisees' group stood up and contended, "We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?" When the dissension became violent, the tribune, fearing that they would tear Paul to pieces, ordered the soldiers to go down, take him by force, and bring him into the barracks.

That night the Lord stood near him and said, "Keep up your courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome."

Reflection
So here we are, so mad and judgmental about Paul that we are going to whip it out of him! But Paul, stops this crowd. They don't know that Paul is a Roman citizen. This entire thing is a no-no. So the assumption goes that Paul must have gotten his citizenship on sale at Walmart. But no, Paul was born a citizen. Do you suppose Paul is from an influential family? Now what? What happened to the bullies? They pulled back, afraid. Ha!

So Paul moves on to the council. What's the deal? Paul begins and knows that a Pharisee can be a Christian but a Sadducee doesn't believe in resurrection. So all Paul needs to do is get the two groups arguing. The two groups have already lost focus on Paul's original message. Nothing gets done. So the tribune has Paul taken back to the barracks.

How pitiful we can be. First, when we think we are "right" and we think justice is in making another "wrong" we proceed to change the person by beating it out of him. But then we find out that this person is of "higher" status than we are ourselves, so we back off. Then, gathered again, we break out into argument over principals of religion and miss the whole point of why we came together in the first place.

The point of Paul was to bring the message of the grace of Jesus Christ to the people. Instead of listening to the wonderful gift that was laid before them. The people lost focus of the point --- Jesus Christ. They lost focus of Jesus and focused on themselves and their own sense of false power. And it all degraded to physical violence and argument.

Sounds like what happens in the church today. We lose the focus on Jesus Christ and degrade into arguments on differences of opinion and petty fighting compared to the real focus of the mission before the church of Jesus Christ and our call to make disciples.

It's time we focus on the cross and Christ and listen to the call and direction God chooses. Celebrate our life together in Christ and GO! Go! and make disciples. Go! and spread the gospel. Go! and stand before the crowds, keeping focus on Christ always.

Prayer