Acts 21:27-34
27 When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, come to our aid! This is the man who preaches to all men everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” 29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30 Then all the city was provoked, and the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. 31 While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the commander of the Roman cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32 At once he took along some soldiers and centurions and ran down to them; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the commander came up and took hold of him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains; and he began asking who he was and what he had done. 34 But among the crowd some were shouting one thing and some another, and when he could not find out the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks.
Have you ever been in a situation where you try to do all the right things but it still isn’t enough? Paul’s heart has been in the right place all along but it didn’t matter; the Jews who wanted Paul persecuted insisted upon having him put away because he challenged their theology. How do you feel when someone challenges your theology? Jesus did it and they crucified Him. Steven did it and they stoned him. Paul did it and they are inciting mobs against him and he is preparing to be executed.
Many times we look at stories like this in the bible and put ourselves in the sandals of the one being persecuted. We use the story to exemplify that when we speak the truth of God, we will be persecuted. This is very true, but we often forget that the rigidity of our religious beliefs also causes us to be the ones throwing the stones at the righteous as well. How many times have you scoffed at someone who gave a different account of the spiritual realm than you have been led to believe? How often do we close our hearts to what God is trying to reveal to us through others because we are afraid to learn that our current way of thinking isn’t completely true?
Notice how the Jewish mob was in confusion. This is the work of our spiritual enemy. He throws us into confusion (a state that we as humans don’t like to stay in very long) and then our faith begins to diminish. They didn’t even know what they were talking about much less understand exactly why Paul should be put to death. I wonder if the men beating him knew why he should be beaten. The crowd formed against Jesus and Steven at least knew why they were angry and why they wanted them dead. This crowd against Paul can’t keep its story straight!
When I say that the enemy throws us into confusion, this isn’t to say that we should never have questions or doubt certain things. We will always have doubts and questions and insecurities floating through our minds that God uses to teach us and push us forward in our spiritual growth. Yet when this happens, we will have purpose and direction. We will have an idea as to why we are moving. This crowd really had no clue what it was doing other than putting a man to death for an unknown reason. The bloodlust of the city, inspired by the devil, overcame them and outside of reason they let it have its way with them. Maybe the word “bloodlust” seems a bit too strong to apply to yourself today, but think about Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and how he detailed that our physical reactions to things aren’t the sin, but the condition of our heart towards others.
Which side of this story are you really on? Are you rejecting what God is trying to tell you and killing the messenger or have you made yourself vulnerable to grow more in His truth?
