Never Be A Fool

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

NEVER BE A FOOL

Acts 19:21-27

21 After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. "After I have been there," he said, "I must visit Rome also." 22 He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer. 23 About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. 24 A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in no little business for the craftsmen. 25 He called them together, along with the workmen in related trades, and said: "Men, you know we receive a good income from this business. 26 And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all. 27 There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty."

NIV

We are reminded of the words of Peter and John as they went to the temple and passed by a beggar who was lame from birth. Peter looked at him and said that he should look at them, to pay attention to them. Of course, the beggar was of the mindset that Peter was going to give him some gold or silver coins, but that was not the case. Peter told him they did not have gold or silver, but what they did have was the name of the Lord, and they told him to get up, which he did and went leaping and jumping and praising God. This is not the case in Ephesus at all for the people, the tradesmen were only concerned about making their income of gold and silver due to the worship of a goddess, who is nothing, but a statue made by the hands of man, which is no goddess at all. However, this narrative reminds us that our life should not be based on the temporary things of this world, which in the case of Demetrius, the silversmith, was his income. He cared not about his eternal being, but rather only his temporary setting in his present age. There are many people today who place their trust in the temporary things of this world, looking to money as their source of security, and have no interest in our Lord Jesus Christ. Although, as we reflect on our years within the community of faith, and perhaps we use that term loosely, as we have encountered those who profess their faith in Jesus, but live to secure their future with the accumulation of wealth, storing up as much as possible for their self-fulfillment in their years to come, which are never guaranteed, much like that rich farmer who had to build all brand new barns, to store his extra wealth. It is interesting he was not condemned for storing up wealth, but that he was not using it to be rich toward God, but rather for himself, thinking he could sit back and enjoy retirement, using all his wealth for his own pleasures. God thought him to be a fool. This was Demetrius, a fool. He did not care about the goddess Artemis but only cared about his own income. This is not to say that God hates wealth or that man should avoid it, but that as Jesus was clear, we cannot serve both God and money. We need money to live in this culture, it is the simple fact of life. Demetrious needed to have an income to support himself and his family if he had one. But to cause a riot against Paul who refuted the gods made by the hands of man and preached about the living God, the creator of heaven and Earth, was strictly based on the love of money rather than of any god. We just need to be careful not to fall into that trap, thinking that our income is our source of security or find ourselves thinking anything is more important than our living God, our Lord, and Savior Jesus Christ. We have heard many times and we have said it ourselves that we have to live in this world, but we are not to be of the world, for we are of the kingdom of God. Let us then live that way and thus never be considered by God to be a fool.