Humble

DEVOTION

THE BOOK OF ACTS

HUMBLE

Acts 25:23-27

23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high ranking officers and the leading men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 Festus said: "King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25 I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome. 26 But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write. 27 For I think it is unreasonable to send on a prisoner without specifying the charges against him."

NIV

We  are going to get the great witness of Paul before Agrippa but first we have to experience the great pomp of Agrippa's entrance. Although he is not the king of Judea or of Israel per say and according to history he really was king over the temple, with the right to select the high priest and also was given authority over a few small areas by the Roman government, rather than by the people of Israel. He really was not much of a king at all, yet here he arrives with all the pomp and ceremony of some royal king of great stature. As we can clearly see that Festus has no desire to have Paul put to death and would like to have a reason at least to put something of substance in his letter to Caesar why he is sending Paul to him, we should focus today on this Agrippa. There will always be those who desire the pomp and ceremony when then enter a room. This basically is the result of thinking more highly of one self then should be. It is true that he is somewhat a king, and as such should be offered some respect for his position, but as a man he should have deferred that respect with a humble heart. This is our life lesson. We have read about those in the synagogue who invite the man dressed well to sit up front, while those dressed less well to sit on the floor in the back. There is something within human nature that causes us to desire pomp when we enter the room, considering ourselves worthy of such. But it is the human nature and not the Spirit which desires this. Jesus lived a humble life of service to people, no pomp, no ceremony, just Jesus and if anyone was worthy, it would be him. We must be careful not to expect any pomp about our lives, our entrance onto the stage of life, or into a room. If we humble ourselves before God he will lift us up. And if we humble ourselves before God how can we not do the same before men? We cannot be humble before God and haughty before men, it just doesn’t work that way. Even if we have a position with some authority for the reason for the authority is the responsibility. Responsibility should bring humility rather than expectation of pomp or honor, fame and glory. What we have here is an encouragement to remain humble at all times.