Sorry, I got a little behind with the posting of today’s blog. I am still on track with my reading and I hope you are right along with me and my church as we discover God’s wondrous plan in His word.
Today we read the continuation of the missionary journeys of Paul and the conclusion of the book of Acts. I found it very convicting and encouraging at the same time.
Here is my take on today’s reading.
Chaos, confusion, anger and faithfulness surround this section of our reading. Paul continues his outreach to the world in the name of the Savior. What he finds as he reaches out is acceptance of his preaching, rejection of his preaching, ambivalence toward his preaching and riots.
Riots when the nationalized perspective (aligned with peoples’ livelihood) is confronted with the truth about Jesus Christ. Riots when something doesn’t sound profitable to the profit makers. Riots when the rhetoric is not consistent with the regional cultural taglines. Ephesus is the pivot pole for this scenario.
A certain silversmith finds that people are turning to Jesus and hurting business. He foments a riot that gathers a huge crowd chanting the “We’re number one” phrase of that area (“Great is Artemis of the Ephesians”). Unruliness reigns in the massive unfocused crowd as it shouts one thing, then another. Crazed by their pride for their “team,” hysterically shouting the theme of their famous city in unreceptive fervor to the truth. Like most wild crowds, moving, undulating like some unleashed amoeba in rhythm to their ire and unfocused mass.
Leadership tried to control them and share the good news (Paul wanted to, Alexander, the Jew is pushed on stage without result) and like almost every brutish crowd, “most…did not even know why they were there.”
Do we know why we are there? Do we know why we are joined with Jesus and His church? Do we really know? Or are we like the uncontrolled Ephesian crowd, unable to see, hear, taste or touch the truth because of the din all around us? Is the shouting of our own “We’re number one” so loud that we miss the still small voice of the Master trying to speak a word to each and every one of us? We act sometimes like the American church is the only form of church that works. “We’re number one!” We act sometimes, in our cushy comfort, like God has blessed us, because we are so good. Yet we struggle to hear His voice today, as if we might not even know Him.
I am not indicting our country. I am questioning myself and our form of “living for Jesus.” We make it out to be a certain music form, a certain preaching style, a certain building architecture, a certain kind of church structure or a load of other requirements to become “number one.” And if we cannot discover that “right” mixture in one church, we scurry to the next. We look, at times, just like the amoebic rabble in Ephesus chanting to the current theme, but not having a clue why we are there!
I hope we get it soon. Maranatha! And that’s the truth!
Continue with me and my church as we seek the leading of the Lord through His word. What a journey so far!
Until tomorrow! Blessings.
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