Doing Everything Right,

But Suffering Anyway

In our last post from the book of Acts we looked at how Paul practiced what he taught in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23. If you’re interested, you can learn more here: “On Being All Things to All People for Jesus–Acts 21:17-26”.Today’s post is very much connected to the last one. In today’s post, we’ll see there can be a cost to following Jesus: even when you do everything with the grace of Jesus.

Acts 21:27-36

“When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done. Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, for the mob of the people followed, crying out, ‘Away with him!’”

Doing (Most) Everything Right, But Suffering Anyway

So, there’s this church that teaches through the entire Bible. I don’t know where they started but sometimes churches that teach through the Bible start with the Gospel of John. Anyway, it came time for this church to teach on Genesis 1:26-28. And part of that passage includes the verse that says God created human beings male and female.

Their goal that morning was to offer a truthful and loving sermon, and they went to great effort toward that end. But the response from the trans community was intense and confrontational, and that response cost the church in a variety of ways including the loss of a strong relationship with a local film festival.

Quite obviously, what happened to Paul was very much worse.

According to Keener, Jerusalem wasn’t what it had been back in Acts chapter 2. Jewish nationalism was on the rise and assassins were murdering aristocrats suspected of collaborating with Gentiles. The Jewish people in Jerusalem were becoming intolerant of Jews who chose to fraternize with other people groups. (p. 386)

So, in spite of Paul’s best efforts to communicate with the Jewish community in Jerusalem in the best possible way, their reaction was intense and confrontational–to say the least. In spite of Paul’s efforts, he wound up beaten and bound in chains.

Without a doubt we who follow Jesus are to be filled with the love of Jesus for people, including people we disagree with, even our enemies. And as best as we can, we’re to be all things to all people for the sake of Jesus’ love for those people.

Jesus himself communicated the love of God perfectly. When the temple guards went to arrest Jesus, they found themselves unable to carry out their orders. When they returned to the Pharisees, the Pharisees asked, “Why did you not bring him?”

And they replied: “No one ever spoke like this man!” (John 7:44-46)

But even Jesus, in spite of his perfect brilliant love filled communication, was crucified. “Away with him!” The crowd shouted at the Roman law enforcement officials and Paul in verse 36 of our text. And “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” They shouted at Jesus and the Roman officials in John 19:15.

Sometimes, even if we do our very best to communicate the love of Jesus and to be all things to all people: there will still be a cost.

Notes:

Craig Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, IVP Academic; 2nd edition, January 3, 2014, pp. 386

Keith Simon, “When My Sermon Riled Our City”, Christianity Today, June 25, 2024

Kurt Cameron Bennett best known for his book Love Like Jesus. After attending church and studying the Bible for most of his adult life, he was challenged by a pastor to study Jesus. That led to an obsessive seven-year deep dive. After pouring over Jesus’ every interaction with another human being, he realized he was doing a much better job of studying Jesus’ words than he was following Jesus’ words and example. The honest and fearless revelations of Bennett’s own moral failures affirm he wrote Love Like Jesus for himself as much as for others. He currently lives in Hillsboro, Oregon, just a few miles from his son Gabe, daughter (-in-law) Charise, and grandson Andrew. He has another son Nate and daughter (-in-law) Anastasia who live in Sammamish, Washington. His blog, God Running is a place for anyone who wants to (or even anyone who wants to want to) love Jesus more deeply, follow Jesus more closely, and love people the way Jesus wants us to.

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