Just Love

DEVOTION

THE BOOK OF ACTS

JUST LOVE

Acts 22:17-22

17 "When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw the Lord speaking. 'Quick!' he said to me. 'Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me.'  19 "'Lord,' I replied, 'these men know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you.   20 And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.' 21 "Then the Lord said to me, 'Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'" 22 The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, "Rid the earth of him! He's not fit to live!"

NIV

It wasn’t bad enough these men were angry that Paul was preaching about Jesus being the Messiah, that they were accusing him of teaching against the Law of Moses, but now they really just could not stand that he went to the Gentiles. What difference under the law, as they were, and that he was sent to the Gentiles? The Jews hated the Gentiles and surely did not want them included in being the elect, the chosen people of God. The Gentiles were uncircumcised heathens to the Jews, not fit to be part of their religion. So why were they so upset about Paul being sent to the Gentiles with a message they felt was not right anyway? What kind of life lesson can we glean from this? First we could learn, as we really already know, that God is not a respecter of persons, or he does not show favoritism. He is a God of all mankind, the creator of all mankind. Now it is true that some of mankind has totally rejected him and serve all sorts of false gods of their own invention or making, but he is still their God as far as he is concerned. God does not bless or condone one Christian denomination over another, all faiths that profess that Jesus Christ is Lord are equal in his eyes. We are the ones, as those Jews were, who separate ourselves by various laws, or rules and regulations or some interpretation of one scripture. Although we may not demonstrate our anger toward those who believe differently as those Jews did, do we have any of those kind of thoughts about others who believe differently than we do? They wanted Paul to be killed because he went to the Gentiles about Jesus, who they refused anyway. Hatred toward anyone who believes differently is simply not allowed by God, in fact we are told to love our enemies, not that a different denomination is our enemy, but the concept holds true to them, as it does with Islam , Hindi, Buddhist, scientologists, atheists Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses or any others who refuse to accept our faith. Hatred is not allowed period. These Jews were so filled with hatred about Paul teaching against their law, but they did not really know the one true law of love, or although they circumcised their flesh, they refused to circumcise their hearts. We cannot afford to be like them, if our heart is circumcised then it is exposed to God, and we must sense his love for all people. No anger, no hatred, just love.