Having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul

Acts 14:8-28 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. ⁹ This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be made well, ¹⁰ said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he leaped up and began to walk. ¹¹ When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have become like men and have come down to us.” ¹² And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. ¹³ The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. ¹⁴ But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out¹⁵ and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. ¹⁶ In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways; ¹⁷ and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” ¹⁸ Even saying these things, with difficulty they restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.

¹⁹ But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.²⁰ But while the disciples stood around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe. ²¹ After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, ²² strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” ²³ When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

²⁴ They passed through Pisidia and came into Pamphylia. ²⁵ When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. ²⁶ From there they sailed to Antioch, from which they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had accomplished. ²⁷ When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. ²⁸ And they spent a long time with the disciples.

In today’s text it says:  At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be made well,  said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he leaped up and began to walk. When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have become like men and have come down to us.” And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.    How quickly though did the opinion of the crowds change.     But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.   This turning of the opinion of the crowds is reminicent of the change in the way Jesus Himself was viewed from the time of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem until the time of His arrest and crucifixion less than a week later. The same people who shouted hosanna blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, were later persauded to shout crucify. This speaks to us that we should not be concerned about the approval of man, but rather the approval of God.  Our response, when the world no longer approves of what we say and tries to silence us, should be as Peter and John’s was in Acts 4:19-20:  “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 

The fear of man and the pressure and condemnation of the world makes many Christians strive to be loved and accepted by the world. In John 15:18-25 Jesus says:  “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well. But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’”    In following Jesus, it is not love from the world that we should seek, but rather love for the world. Our love for the world should be manifested and demonstrated not necessarily according to the terms of the world, but rather according to God’s terms.    Romans 5:8 says: God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  John 3:16 says:  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”   If we would truly love the world, we need to demonstrate the love of God; the cross of Christ to them. If we would truly love the world and desire, like God, that they would not perish, we need to give them Jesus, the only begotten Son of God; the way to eternal life.

In today’s text, after Paul had been stoned, it says:  The next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe.  After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”  Like Paul, we should not seek to avenge ourselves or justify ourselves in the sight of those who have wronged us. We should continue on, sharing the gospel, the good news, the demonstration of the love of God through the cross of Christ. If we will follow Jesus and live and love as He did, we may indeed encounter tribulation.  In John 16:33 Jesus says:  “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”   The world tries to cause us to be silent about the cross because it is offensive to some. Some Christians respond by intentionally being offensive to the world. Our intention and our desire should not be to offend people with the cross, but rather to demonstrate the love of God. Like Jesus, we should seek to overcome the world, not by force, not by offense, but by truth and love. Their response, the love of the world should not be our concern, rather it is love for the world; that they would not perish but have eternal life in Christ.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit; may I live my life not to seek the love of the world, but rather to share and demonstrate Your love for the world. May I not be concerned about their response to me, but rather that they would respond to Your love by believing in Christ. Thank You for the overcoming power and peace that I have in You and through You. May I never share the cross so as to offend, but rather may I share the offense of the cross in love so as to overcome.     Amen.