Acts 14:1-7 At Iconium
“Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. Therefore, they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
But the multitude of the city was divided: part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles. And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone them, they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region. And they were preaching the gospel there.
When you are acting for the Kingdom of God, there will always be opposition. And the more effective your ministry, the stronger the opposition. Here, Paul and Barnabas have been preaching and teaching and many people, both Jews and Greeks, have been streaming into the Kingdom of God. But traditional leaders whose commitment to their own power is greater than their commitment to God’s truth are doing everything they can to fight these men. Finally, Paul and Barnabas find themselves on the road again, fleeing to Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding region, preaching the gospel as they go.
While Paul and Barnabas are probably thinking only of escaping opposition, God has far bigger plans. For as these preachers are fleeing from one place to another, they are teaching people about Jesus wherever they go, lighting fires of hope in people’s hearts. Psalm 37;23 tells us that “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.” While Paul and Barnabas might feel they are wandering aimlessly across the countryside, meanwhile, God is moving them into strategically important connections with spiritually hungry people ready to hear the gospel and accept it.
Acts 14:8-18 Idolatry at Lystra
And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked. Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes.
But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless, He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.”
The people of Lystra have been worshiping fake Grecian gods, even though the myths describe these beings as far from having any purity or holiness. When Paul and Barnabas speak to a man crippled from birth, he leaps up healed and whole. Local people are so thrilled that they can only conclude that their gods have descended and are favoring them. But now Paul and Barnabas have a new set of problems: the temptation to allow themselves to be worshiped as gods. Quite sensibly, Paul and Barnabas refuse, doing everything they can to convince these people that the God of heaven and earth has done this miracle and that they are only His agents.
The temptation to take glory reserved only for God continues to this day. Here in Ghana, it is quite common for those conducting crusades to spread posters portraying the evangelist and the dates of the crusade as widely as possible, advertising healing and deliverance. But without God, these people are nothing, powerless beings who can only mouth platitudes. The question is this: who is doing the healing and who should receive the glory? While God may work through men and women, He alone deserves the praise and the glory. People do get healed in these crusades; however, the healing comes through their faith in God and not because the evangelist has the power to heal. All power must come from the One True Living God. Paul and Barnabas know that God has healed this man in Lystra and they are doing everything they can to avoid being confused with traditional Greek gods. (Study Greek mythology, and you rapidly realize that the Greek gods are far from holy or pure!)
As God’s ambassadors, we must not take credit when all the glory belongs to God. There is a fictitious story about the donkey that carried Jesus on Palm Sunday feeling proud that all the adulation was for him; meanwhile, the donkey was only a means to an end. Like that donkey, we must allow God to use us but remember that He is the only One worthy of praise.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to continually point people to You, for You are the Source of light and life while we are only messengers. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Tags: bible, christianity, faith, god, jesus
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