Daily Bread 2010 - Acts 22
Daily Bread 2010 – Acts 22
1"Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense." 2When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet.
Then Paul said: 3"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. 4I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, 5as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.
6"About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?'
8" 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked.
" 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied. 9My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.
10"'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked.
"'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.' 11My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.
As Paul made his defense to the Roman commander, he recounted his testimony in a Hebrew dialect. Paul explained that he was brought up as a Jew, trained by Gamaliel, one of the great Jewish teachers of the day. Paul reminds them that he was very zealous for the Law, and one of the chief persecutors of the Christian Way. He was even there when Stephen was martyred for his faith. And then Paul explains his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus.
Importantly, as Paul fell to the ground, as the bright light from heaven blinded him, Jesus said, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Although Paul thought he was doing something for God, he was actually doing something against Him.
This is a good reminder for anyone being persecuted for their faith (emotionally, spiritually or physically). We can realize it is really Jesus, who is being persecuted through us. When one thinks of it that way, it makes one even more that clear that it is Christ living in you. Just as they persecuted Jesus, just as they persecuted Paul and Stephen, as a Christian it is likely you will be persecuted for living out Your Christian faith. But when one realizes it is the “Christ living in you”, one can consider it an honor to be counted worthy to suffer for His Name.
Jesus, give us courage to live out our faith in a world that is often hostile to you living in us. Like Paul, may we count it as all joy when we face various kinds of trials, knowing that the testing of our faith will produce endurance and must finish its work, so we may be perfect and complete and lacking in nothing. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
1"Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense." 2When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet.
Then Paul said: 3"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. 4I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, 5as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.
6"About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?'
8" 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked.
" 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied. 9My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.
10"'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked.
"'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.' 11My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.
As Paul made his defense to the Roman commander, he recounted his testimony in a Hebrew dialect. Paul explained that he was brought up as a Jew, trained by Gamaliel, one of the great Jewish teachers of the day. Paul reminds them that he was very zealous for the Law, and one of the chief persecutors of the Christian Way. He was even there when Stephen was martyred for his faith. And then Paul explains his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus.
Importantly, as Paul fell to the ground, as the bright light from heaven blinded him, Jesus said, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Although Paul thought he was doing something for God, he was actually doing something against Him.
This is a good reminder for anyone being persecuted for their faith (emotionally, spiritually or physically). We can realize it is really Jesus, who is being persecuted through us. When one thinks of it that way, it makes one even more that clear that it is Christ living in you. Just as they persecuted Jesus, just as they persecuted Paul and Stephen, as a Christian it is likely you will be persecuted for living out Your Christian faith. But when one realizes it is the “Christ living in you”, one can consider it an honor to be counted worthy to suffer for His Name.
Jesus, give us courage to live out our faith in a world that is often hostile to you living in us. Like Paul, may we count it as all joy when we face various kinds of trials, knowing that the testing of our faith will produce endurance and must finish its work, so we may be perfect and complete and lacking in nothing. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment