Daily Devotion for Lent 2020 - Day 29

Scripture Reading: Acts 21:17-36 (NRSV)

Paul may be in trouble.  He's stirred up trouble among Jews all across the Mediterranean because of his liberal views concerning Gentiles.  When he comes back, he visits with James, the brother of Jesus who was the leader of the church in Jerusalem.  James was known for his preservation of Judaism within Christianity and so the critique of Paul's message to the Gentiles may have been closer than Luke indicates in this passage.

Did Paul tell Gentiles to forsake Moses? 

Not exactly.  The preservation of Judaic law was not Paul's mission.  His mission was to introduce people to the living Lord be they Jew or Gentile.

Paul does state in 1 Corinthians 10:23-26:

“All things are lawful,” but not all things are beneficial. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. Do not seek your own advantage, but that of the other. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience, for “the earth and its fullness are the Lord’s.”

So in this instance, he allows the eating of meat offered to idols and not slaughtered with kosher methods.  He later adds that if you are with someone who has difficulty with this, then you are to refrain from eating.   So technically, while his mission is not to forsake Moses, someone who is committed to the dietary laws could certainly phrase it this way.

Paul has a different mindset.  Earlier in 1 Corinthians (9:19-23), he explains this explicitly:

For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some.  I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings. 

Paul begins to live out, "To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews" in following the Jerusalem leadership's instructions to join in the purification rites.  Unfortunately, this was not enough.  When those zealous for the law are stirred up, they seize Paul and begin to beat him.  The violence is contagious as they contend that he has violated the temple by bringing in a Gentile.  Archaeologists have actually discovered an engraving from the time of Herod that forbids the entry of Gentiles to the temple which was punishable by death.

Fortunately for Paul, Roman soldiers intervene.  While they were the executioners of his Lord, they would ironically be his lifeline on this day.

What feelings does this photo engender?

This is a blatant reminder that our views can be misconstrued.  Paul was not interested in tearing down the law for the Jewish population.  He was actually exposing the wider world to quite a bit of it.  But his main reason for doing this was to share the resurrected Christ with all that he could.  If the law got in the way, he was not opposed to laying it aside for his main purpose.  But others saw him as an enemy to God.  This is a great irony because the very people who were beating him were simply a version of his younger self.

How do we come across with our words?  In such a diverse setting as today, would Paul have said, "To the Republicans, I became as a Republican, in order to win Republicans.  To the Democrats, I became as a Democrat, in order to win Democrats"?  While this sounds rather wishy-washy, for Paul, it was about getting his message across effectively. 

When you hear the words of someone and you disagree with their position, do you give the benefit of the doubt or are you more likely to stir the pot?  We must be careful not to misconstrue people's positions or we join in the mob mentality that is unfortunately a part of the human condition.  Sometimes it is good for us to review, "What is my main objective as a follower of Jesus?

Prayer for the day:

Lord, since you exist, we exist.
Since you are beautiful, we are beautiful.
Since you are good, we are good.
By our existence we honor you.
By our beauty we glorify you.
By our goodness we love you.
Lord, through your power all things were made.
Through your wisdom all things are governed.
Through your grace all things are sustained.
Give us power to serve you, wisdom to discern your laws,
and grace to obey those at all times.
Amen.

Prayer by Edmund of Abingdon, Archbishop of Canterbury, 13th century

Photo by Pete Souza, Official White House photo, November 10, 2016. 

All scripture quoted is from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.