Rid the Earth of Him...

Acts 21 and the begining of chapter 22 shows Paul in Jerusalem, standing on the steps of the barracks. Paul turns to face the angry crowd. In silence the mob anxiously anticipates the words of this man they have accused of defiling the temple and spreading heresy about the Jewish faith. Paul tells them how he is one of their own. He was raised and trained by the very best teachers of the law. How on the road to Damascus this Jesus whom he was trying to destroy, changed his life. How he was commissioned by Christ himself to testify about Him, to the Gentiles. Up to this point the scripture says the mob listened, until this was said about the Gentiles. They shouted, “Rid the earth of Him! He’s not fit to live” Acts 22:22.

Looking at this verse has made me think about what made the Jewish followers so mad. It wasn’t the fact of Jesus miraculously converting Paul, or how Paul was now testifying about Him. It was the idea of God’s blessing being removed from them and given to the Gentiles. The blessing and the curse had come home to roost. The Israelites had missed the point of them being God’s people, of being a blessing to the nations. They looked at the blessing something to be held on to. Not to be shared with the rest of the world…it’s mine.

I can’t help but to see this same mentality manifesting itself in our church today. We have a tailor made gospel that only fits the “American” worldview. This gospel is aimed at the middle class, where I can build my beautiful temples to prosperity to shut out the one who the gospel would impact the most. I will control the time when I feed and care for the poor and the needy. When I’m moved by the television commercial of a pot-belly child in Africa, or when the Pastor asks me to drop off food at the church for the local food bank. I never have to get my hands dirty or look in the eyes of those who are suffering, for fear I might experience discomfort.

How long will it be before we too are faced with our own Paul? Someone who is commissioned by Christ to take the message of the Gospel to the people who need it the most, who will embrace the truth of freedom and peace of spirit. Who will truly appreciate what it means to be comforted in the turmoil of true suffering. My heart is braking for this great country of ours, I long for us to experience true repentance. As a nation we need to truly repent and turn to God, to follow him with our whole hearts. I believe we have been greatly blessed and I fear our time is coming, just as the Jewish nation. Johnny Cash sings in his last album “You can run on for a long time, but God’s going to cut you down.” The idea presented, we are going to have give an account for what we do. Reading this passage brought this thought home for me.

Acts ends with this verse, “Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ” Acts 28:31. What an epitaph for the Apostle Paul. He spent his life boldly preaching the gospel of Christ. Nothing would stop him from fulfilling his purpose to the gentiles. Beatings, ship wrecks, prison or stoning could not slow down this man of God. I look at Paul and I know he was selected for a special purpose, but he was so very human. I love the fact the Bible presents Paul as Saul first. Knowing this gives me great hope. Knowing Christ takes us and shapes us for his special purpose, for our generation. Paul’s character was chiseled and shaped by his suffering. So when we see him in the face of danger saying “grace” and eating because he believed God would keep His promises. He gives us the picture of an integrated Christian, who combines spiritually with sanity and faith with works. What an example for us to follow. We need to be like Paul’s and love people more than ourselves. We need to be like Paul and follow his boldness to proclaim the gospel to every person, everywhere without fear.

-ps