Acts 23: 1-10
Most of what has happened in my life, when it comes to
punishment or retaliation, is a result of my poor choices. I have very rarely thought of myself as a
victim! Many of my bad choices have been
bought lessons, and several have had a life changing effect on limiting my
skill set. In all my years, only once
did I not understand why an action was done to me and it happened when I was a
child. My parents often had friends from
church over and all the kids but me were in the back bed rooms, but I was
sitting on the living room floor listening to the adults, when my dad got very
upset with me and told me to leave the room.
To this day, I still wonder what I was doing that caused him to do that?
As I read this account in chapter 23, I began to understand
that Paul was not a victim, he was following the lead of the Spirit when this
happen; “And
looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life
before God in all good conscience up to this day.” And the high priest Ananias
commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. (Acts 23:1-2 ESV) How about that, Paul has been ask to give a
defense and some bozo hits him in the mouth, and it was ordered by some guy he
had never met. What would you do? I thought so, but this is what Paul did; “Then Paul said to
him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to
judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be
struck?” (Acts 23:3)
As I said you might have acted somewhat different and I have
no doubt I would have, but some who were standing there said, “Would you revile
God’s high priest?” “And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the
high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your
people.’” (Acts 23: 4-5) A
good analogy of the setting Paul found himself in would be Peyton Manning
playing the Dallas Cowboys without an offensive line. Now that may not be all that good, Peyton
might still beat the Cowboys without any blocking, but you do understand that
Paul was in a no win situation?
Beginning in verse six we have Paul’s divide and hope to
survive plan. “Now when Paul perceived that one part were
Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am
a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the
resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” And when he had said this, a
dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was
divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor
spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. Then a great clamor arose, and
some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and contended sharply, “We
find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” And
when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn
to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from
among them by force and bring him into the barracks.
(Acts 23:6-10 ESV)
My take away is that when the deck is stacked and it seems
the odds are unbelievable, trust God. In
Paul’s case, we have the eleven verses where Jesus tells Paul to take courage,
that he must now go to Rome and testify about the hope that is found only in
Christ. And Paul understood that the enemy
would do everything he could to keep God’s plan for your life from taking
place, but God, yes but God’s plan for your life cannot be stopped by man or by
the evil one, only by your will.
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
No comments:
Post a Comment