Acts Chapter 17: Verses 3-5 (NIV)
As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said.Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.
Acts Chapter 17: Verses 19-21 (NIV)
Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
Paul was always very mindful of the audiences he was talking to, which is evident in the record of his visits to Thessalonica and Athens. He used scripture in Thessalonica when he went to the Synagogue, whilst in Athens he presented examples that his listeners could relate to. And he got different responses. I was struck by two points. Jealousy is a terrible thing and it makes you do things that you would never otherwise do. Those in Thessalonica who were jealous went out and got in tow with bad characters and incited a mob riot. Jealousy is nothing but destructive, and that’s why if we ever get any hint of it in our own hearts, we need to ask God to deal with it for us.
In Athens we read that people spent a lot of time speculating about ideas which seemed modern and on trend. They seemed to spend a lot of time talking without actually doing anything. Sometimes new ideas tickle our ears and interest, but they don’t touch us deep in our heart. When we are touched by God too, we need to do more than just talk about what He has said – we need to respond! Some of the Athenians Paul had spoken to wanted to know more. We need to be wise and be led by the Holy Spirit when someone asks us to explain more about our faith.
Dear Lord,
Keep my heart from jealousy and not concerned about what You are doing in someone else’s life or church, and help me always be ready to give account of my faith if someone asks. I pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.