Divided
ACTS 13:42 - 14:7 (June 21)
We know that opinions are just that...opinions. And we never get to a place where EVERYONE agrees. There are always two sides to every story, and we all have choices in what we choose to believe.
The choices we make define who we are. All around us, day after day, are choices to be made. Perhaps no choice is as important as who we will serve in this life. Those of us who choose to serve God do so by Divine Election. God doesn't force us. He allows us the opportunity.
The Jews were facing the same choice when Paul and Barnabas shared the Good (and Bad) News with them. People were begging them to speak about these things again, and many Jews believed and became followers.
But there is always another side to the story... and in this particular story, there were Jews in the crowd that were jealous of these two men, so they slandered them.
Paul and Barnabas didn't let that bother them. "It was necessary that we first preach the word of God to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles."
In other words, you had your chance, and you blew it (your own choice), so we are going elsewhere.
The Gentiles were excited to hear this and gave thanks to the Lord. They became believers (most of them) and continued to spread the Lord's message throughout the region. (That Good News is flying off the shelves!)
But those hateful Jews weren't finished yet. They stirred up the influential Jewish women (interesting...they used women to get things stirred up!) along with some leaders of the city and got a mob going against Paul and Barnabas.
Paul and Barnabas "shook the dust from their feet"(translation... see you later alligator) and went on to another town, where believers were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
They stayed their preaching a long time, even though the Jews created a very similar situation in that town. They performed miraculous signs and wonders, thanks to the power given to them by the Lord.
But this was a town divided. There were two sides to the story ... the believers and the unbelievers. Everyone had to choose for themselves (that Divine Election.) Some sided with the Jews, some with the apostles.
The ugly mob of Jews and Gentiles decided to stone the apostles. So those preachers fled the region and went elsewhere to preach the Good News.
Paul and Barnabas had already made their Divine Election. And I love the fact that they never let the naysayers stop them. If they got run out of one town, they just went to another. They continued to preach the Good News, despite opposition.
We are called to do the same. This world is in some dark times. We have choices to make. The enemy wants us to choose the world. But we know we serve a God who protects us from the enemy and gives us the boldness to stand strong in a world that is so Divided.