So Be It

DEVOTION

THE BOOK OF ACTS

SO BE IT

Acts 17:5-9

5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.   6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus." 8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.

NIV

What is it with people that they are so angry and violent toward anything that has to do with Jesus Christ, or in fact God? Why would Jews, especially, not see the spiritual aspect of life over the physical life under the Roman rule? What is also a bit unusual is that because they could not find Paul and Silas to impose their anti-Jesus, anti-God sediment towards they took Jason instead, one of their own citizens. They would prefer the government controlling their behavior than God. That is not much different than today as many people would rather look to government then to God. Many are violent, perhaps in a different way, toward the message of Jesus Christ. Could this be the reason we try to blend into society, as to not rock the boat, so to speak? Could we fear some form of anger, turmoil or even retaliation from those who prefer government over God? Government, or the laws of man might be easier to live under then the laws of God. What they do not understand that under the laws of men, there is punishment, but under the law of God, salvation through Jesus Christ, there is grace, mercy, peace and forgiveness. But some would rather have the law of men which does not speak to their morality as Jesus does. Under the law of men, the rule of government they can hide in the darkness of their sin, but when they accept God, he exposes sin so we can repent and seek forgiveness. Although Roman rule actually oppressed those under its authority those men would rather have that then the freedom Christ gives. They were so steeped in their tradition of religious ideas and free to practice it under the Roman rule, as some mainline denominations of today, which do not threaten man’s law, they could not accept the truth. What we can learn is that we will always have those who hate what we stand for, but that we should not back down from their actions against us. We cannot conform to their way of life just so we do not experience their anger toward us. If there is no anger toward us, then perhaps we simply are not exposing them to Jesus Christ. We cannot just tell them God loves them, or show them the love of God by good works, as humanitarians do good works. We need to be showing and telling them about Jesus Christ, about forgiveness of sin, about salvation, about eternal life and eternal death, about being saved, being born again. If we do that we will find some who believe and will be saved, and we might find others who are thrown into turmoil against us, but so be it.