“The next day Agrippa
and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high
ranking officers and the leading men of the city. At the command of Festus,
Paul was brought in.” Acts 25:23
Things aren’t always as they seem, are they?
Take power, for instance …
Who can forget the image of a solitary protester in Tiananmen Square, whose
mere presence and conviction brought a roaring army tank to a complete
standstill? Fortified both in strength of steel and the authority of the
Chinese government, this massive, advancing behemoth lost its battle – failed
its mission – against one man literally standing for freedom and armed only in
courage. The whole world was watching,
but appearances deceived; power wasn’t as it seemed.
In today’s text, there convened in Caesarea the “machinery” of Judea – King
Herod Agrippa, his sister Bernice, Governor Festus, and a room full of military
officers and local leaders. And at the command of Agrippa, Paul was brought
into the auditorium. Bound with chains,
he stood alone before them.
They had not assembled against Paul, but simply to hear the defense of him who
had appealed his case to Caesar. Still, it was a display of authority that
would intimidate just about anyone.
Paul, however, saw it for what it was, an opportunity ... not only for his
defense, but also to witness to God's faithfulness to his promises. And like
the lone figure in Tiananmen Square, Paul needed no weapons, for he was already
armed with all the power he needed: Truth, freely spoken.
After greeting the King with respect, Paul spoke clearly and concisely about
his hope in the long-promised Messiah ... and his faith in Jesus, who fulfilled all the Messianic predictions of Moses and the prophets. And at that point, it became clear where the
real power lay ...
For it was Festus, the governor, who first lost composure, shouting “You are
out of your mind, Paul!” (“I am not
insane, most excellent Festus. What I am saying is true and reasonable.”)
And when Paul asked Agrippa, a Jew by birth, if he believed in the prophets,
the king completely avoided the question, exposing his own inner weakness: “Do
you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” (“Short time or long – I pray God that not
only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for
these chains.”)
Outgunned, the king stood and left the room in full retreat, dignitaries in
tow. Only when out of earshot did Agrippa privately confess, “This man is not
doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”
Appearances had deceived; power wasn’t as it seemed. Those who entered the room
”with great pomp” left it ... pomp-less!
The real power in the room that day was truth simply spoken in faith by
one physically bound by man, but spiritually free in Christ.
Whether we testify before small or great, Jesus tells us, “... do not worry
beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for
it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. (Mark 13:9, 11)”
So speak truth freely! And as you look upon things as they appear, confidently and joyfully
remember this: he who holds all power lives within
us.
[Read the entire story of Paul before King Agrippa in Acts 25:23 - 26:32. For
the NIV, click here. For The Message,
click here.]
As they stretched him
out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for
you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty?” When the centurion heard this, he went to the
commander and reported it.... Then the
commander said [to Paul], “I had to pay a big price for my citizenship.” “But I was born a citizen,” Paul
replied. Those who were about to
question him withdrew immediately. The
commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman
citizen, in chains. Acts 22:25-26a,
28-29 [Read today's text in Acts 22:22-29.]
When we were in the fifth grade, my friend, Mike, and I were
walking home after another fun winter evening of ice skating at the public
rink. As we approached the bridge that would take us over the river to the West
side of town, there came toward us some high-school “toughs” who had earned
their dubious reputations. I was greatly relieved to find them content merely
to harass us verbally before continuing on their way. Mike, however, was a bit
prone to sass and, true to form, he turned around and yelled something
smart-alecky back to them.
It didn’t take these guys long to reverse course and catch
up to us! The leader, Jim, grabbed Mike
by his coat with clear intentions of inflicting a beating. I figured I was next. (And it was all so unnecessary!) But
displaying a modicum of wisdom of which I thought him incapable, Jim paused
long enough to ask, “What is your name?”
When Mike told him, Jim let go ... for Mike had two older brothers in
high school. Though they didn't know it,
Mike’s brothers had stood behind us.
In far deeper trouble than Mike and me, the Apostle Paul
appealed to a far more formidable “older brother” – Rome. Contrary to our nation, which is predicated
upon the “self evident” and “unalienable” rights of the individual, people in
that time and place were not considered to be “created equal,” nor were human
liberties recognized as being “endowed by their Creator.” Rather, one’s freedoms in Ancient Rome
depended on his relationship to the state, the grantor of rights. And so it was that behind Paul, its citizen
by birth, stood Rome itself. Seeing
this, those who had illegally shackled him and who were about to flog him “withdrew
immediately.” Like Jim, they let go.
We all need someone bigger than us standing behind us. God has promised – and proved – himself to
that “someone.” When Egypt pursued the
departing Israelites, “the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of
Israel's army, withdrew and went behind them” and the pillar of cloud “also
moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt
and Israel. (Exodus 14:19-20)” He is
with us on a very personal level, also, as King David marveled, “You hem me in –
behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. (Psalm 139:5)”
God is faithful to protect us, even when, like Mike, we are
unaware of his influence. And when we do
appeal to him, like Paul, we see his authority at work. As Isaiah proclaimed, “How gracious he will
be when you cry for help! As soon as he
hears, he will answer you.... Whether
you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you,
saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’ (Isaiah
30:19b, 21)”
His authority is unparalleled. His faithfulness is unmeasurable. We can trust him.
Our God stands behind us.
