Shaking Dust

DEVOTION

THE BOOK OF ACTS

SHAKING DUST

Acts 13:49-52

49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. 50 But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. 51 So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

NIV

Why do we need to know about the God-fearing women of high standing being incited by the Jews against Paul and Barnabas along with the leading men of the city? First from the implication of God-fearing, these women of high standing must have been proselytes, pagan women, matrons who had accepted the Jewish religion. Now Paul and Barnabas were having influence in the region, and the word of the Lord spread. The Jews, which would again imply the Rabbi’s or the Pharisees or other Jews who had some degree of power over these women and leading men of the city as far as religion is concerned were filled with jealousy against Paul and Barnabas so they had to incite, stir up persecution against them. It is a sad commentary on mankind, to see how people will attempt to destroy others, for their own personal gain. Perhaps not actually destroy them physically, but destroy their credibility, their honor, their character in order to discredit anything they have to say, especially about the truth of God. It is one thing to have honest debate over the truth of scripture, but it is entirely a different thing, to diminish the other persons view, or opinion about the truth. We need to be careful not to get caught in that trap, to incite God-fearing people against those who would be spreading the word of the Lord, at least as long as they are actually spreading the word of the Lord. Now if anyone is a false teacher that is again a completely different scenario, those we are to flee from as fast as we can. Those we need to shake the dust off our feet in protest of their false teaching and leave as fast as we can. This kind of truth also applies to people who we share the message of Jesus Christ with. If they will listen, and at least digest the truth, contemplating over it, and are willing to have an honest conversation, we should continue to share, but if they are argumentative, expressing rage and anger about the truth, totally refusing any portion of it, perhaps that is the time to shake the dust off our feet as well in protest of them. That seems hard hearted, cold, leaving them in their own path to destruction, but it seems that is what Paul and Barnabas did to those people. Yet the truth is that for us who know the Lord, who are on the path of righteousness, we can and should be filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. We cannot get weighed down by those who reject the word of the Lord. We must share it, we must speak up, but each person must make their own choice in life, and if there are those who reject what we have to say, rejecting and actually inciting others against us, we cannot allow them to drag us down into having any despair, any negative feelings, or any doubt. We should remain filled with joy and the Holy Spirit, going on to share with others. Shaking the dust.