In The Word
Read: Acts 22:17-29
17 “It happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance, 18 and I saw Him saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.’ 19 And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You. 20 And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing nearby and approving, and watching over the cloaks of those who were killing him.’ 21 And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
22 They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a man from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!” 23 And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered that he be brought into the barracks, saying that he was to be interrogated by flogging so that he would find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way. 25 But when they stretched him out with straps, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?” 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and told him, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.” 27 The commander came and said to Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.” 28 The commander answered, “I acquired this citizenship for a large sum of money.” And Paul said, “But I was actually born a citizen.” 29 Therefore, those who were about to interrogate him immediately backed away from him; and the commander also was afraid when he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had put him in chains.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
At the conclusion of his personal testimony, Paul relayed the purpose of his conversion. He was to go to the Gentiles and preach God’s salvation to them. This was not well received by the Jewish crowd. Gentiles were considered to be dogs and unworthy of God’s mercy and grace. Little did they know that the word of the Lord was being fulfilled as they spoke. With their rejection, God was thrusting Paul into the hands of Gentile authority, the very ones that he was chosen to reach. God used the rejections of His people to be the redemption of a new people. Those that were considered objects of wrath would now become objects of mercy to reveal the riches of God’s glory (Romans 9:23-24).
The magnitude of this moment is still being felt today. God chose those who were not His people to become His people, those who were considered unworthy of His love. Like Paul, we are the vessels whom God has chosen to reach those that seem unworthy and outcast. This means that we may get dirty or step out of our comfort zone, but, like Paul, we are bound to God’s call. God’s desire is for all nations and for all people to come to repentance, not wanting any to perish (I Peter 3:9). We must make this our desire. May we too be willing to love the unlovable and embrace the untouchable! For it is by their salvation that God’s glory is revealed.