"When You Do Right and It Goes Wrong" July 28 Readings: Job 5-6, Acts 21:17–36, Psalm 89:1–6, Proverbs 18:21–24

Today's Readings - Job 5-6, Acts 21:17–36, Psalm 89:1–6, Proverbs 18:21–24

Devotional 

Paul's ministry changed the church - entirely, in every way. It began when God sent Peter to Cornelius, but things really got going when God tabbed Barnabas and Saul and sent them off on their missionary quest. A funny thing happened - Gentiles got saved. A lot of them. In fact, by the time that Paul returned to Jerusalem in Acts 21 to meet with the remaining apostles, the church beyond the borders of ancient Israel was a majority Gentile body.

And there were a lot of folks back in Jerusalem who didn't like it one bit. After Paul recounted the glorious things that God was doing among the Gentiles, James and the other leaders rejoiced, according to verse 20. They were glad, but they were also nervous because the gospel was spreading rapidly among the Jews in the homeland. Unfortunately, among these Jewish converts, there was still a loyalty to the old ways, to the Jewish traditions, and there were stories circulating about Paul's ministry.

You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law, and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs. Acts 21:20-21

I don't know how to process this here. I hope that James tried to confront the lies that were being told about Paul, but one wonders if he had some reservations about Paul's ministry, if the council of Acts 15 had resolved all the issues related to the Jewish nature of the church. But James had a suggestion for Paul. There were four men going to the temple to finish a vow. Paul could go with them and demonstrate that his loyalty to Judaism was still strong and that the rumors  that were coming back from Paul's enemies were false.

Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow;  take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law.

So Paul did exactly that. Though he had done nothing wrong and was proclaiming the true gospel to all men and women, Paul submitted himself to James' desires and in an effort to make peace he went to the temple as he was asked. 

And it all worked out great. Everyone joined hands, had a giant group hug and sang "Kumbaya" together. Right? 

Actually, no. The opposite happened. Verses 27-36 tell us about this turning point in Paul's life. Some of his enemies from his travels in Asia (Asia Minor, likely in Ephesus) recognized him and stirred up the crowd against him with lies. He was arrested and if the soldiers had not intervened, he might well have lost his life. 

Paul tried to do the right thing and everything went wrong! It can happen folks. In fact, whoever said that doing the right thing was a guarantee that everything would work out and that everything would go well for you evidently didn't have a Bible! God's holy and perfect Word is full of stories of people who did the right thing for the right reasons and everything went wrong. That's life in this wicked world. 

But God was still in charge and even this evil led to the furtherance of the work of the gospel. You cannot judge the rightness of your work by how well things work out in the world. That's not how God judges. He looks for obedience and faithfulness. There's no guaranteed outcome - in this world. You may, like Paul, suffer hardship. But God is faithful and will continue to use you even in the most difficult of circumstances. 

Father, you are great. Help me to faithful and obedient whatever the outcome. 

Think and Pray

Do you labor under that idea that when you serve God and walk in him that everything will go well and will work out?

Remember that God is calling us to service not to success. Are you willing to suffer for Christ? Are you willing to obey even if others oppose you, if some persecute you?