Passage of the Day - December 17, 2010

Acts 14:8-19

⁸At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother's womb, who had never walked.

 ⁹This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be made well,

 ¹⁰said with a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet." And he leaped up and began to walk.

 ¹¹When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have become like men and have come down to us."

 ¹²And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

 ¹³The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.

 ¹⁴But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out

 ¹⁵and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, WHO MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM.

 ¹⁶"In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways;

 ¹⁷and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness."

 ¹⁸Even saying these things, with difficulty they restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.

 ¹⁹But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.

Here we see an example of a strong emotional response to the power of God.  However, at no point did the truth penetrate the hearts of the Lycaonians.  The Jews, obviously irritated at Barnabas’ and Paul’s suggestion that the God of the Jews was also the God of the Lycaonians and was good to them, was able to turn the tide to the point of stoning Paul to death (almost).  Playing to peoples emotions can get you great praise, but only the Truth penetrating hearts will get God praise and isn’t that what it is all about?