The Essential Question (Part 8): Paul's Journey to Jerusalemনমুনা

Blessed Assurance

Prepare: "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of his Spirit, washed in his blood." Reflect on the words of this beloved hymn.

Read: Acts 22:22-23:11

Reflect: Hee Haw was a popular television program in the 1970s. A recurring comedy skit had four hillbilly characters sitting on a porch telling sad jokes and singing, "Gloom, despair, agony on me ... if it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all." I wonder if the apostle Paul ever felt that way. It's natural to assume that if we've decided to follow Jesus and are serving him, our way will be smooth. But that wasn't Paul's experience, and it probably won't be ours either.

What set these Jewish leaders off again was they just couldn't accept the idea that God's plan of salvation included Gentiles (22:21-22). That may not be an issue for the church today, but are we free of prejudice? People say that in America the most segregated hour of the week is 11:00 to 12:00 on Sunday morning, the time when many people go to church. Changing that picture will require more than just adding a few multiracial photos to the brochure. Change starts by smiling, talking and making friends with people who are different from us. That's important because the grand finale for the church is a great multitude "from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:9).

Paul understood his struggles had nothing to do with bad luck. As he wrote to his dear friends back in Ephesus, "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12). That was the deeper reality in Paul's heated exchange with the high priest, Ananias, whom history reveals as a corrupt religious leader. Some criticize Paul for his angry sarcasm here, especially since Jesus responded so calmly in a similar situation (John 18:22-23). But there's a time for righteous indignation and this was it. In any case, Paul had the presence of mind to lob a theological hot potato into the discussion, thereby turning the leaders' attacks away from him toward each other.

We're left with the question: How did Paul keep going through all his troubles? The answer comes at the very end of the passage: "The Lord stood near Paul" to renew his courage and affirm his mission (Acts 23:11). Without that, Paul surely would have been overwhelmed. God might not intervene in quite the same way when we face ministry struggles today. It's more likely he'll encourage us through Scripture, prayer, a word from a Christian friend or even a timely experience. The point is, serving God involves struggle, so we must look to him for assurance and guidance every step of the way.

Apply: Prayerfully set the following goal for today: smile at one person different from yourself and make a point of talking to him or her in a friendly way.