Quite a commotion

Scripture

Acts 22:23 “They [the crowd] yelled, threw off their coats, and tossed handfuls of dust into the air”

 

Observation

Paul is trying to defend himself against the mob who have been incited by a small band of agitators into believing that Paul had defiled a sacred rule. It’s amazing to see the crowd being galvanised into action by a few agitators whom most of the people would never have even met. They were from a distant province and had come to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple and within moments of their arrival had created enough tension that the crowd were ready to kill Paul. The scene described in today’s scripture verse (above) is the final act of the mobs displeasure and the beginning of Paul’s long journey to Rome and his eventual martyrdom. These few men knew the religious buttons to press with the crowd. It only took a few moments and the crowd flew into a frenzy, without any actual evidence or truth being presented, and were ready to commit murder. How often do we see this scene played in our society. A small group of agitators, incite the broader population with words they know will gain instant reaction and before you know it the crowd begins yelling, throwing off their coats and tossing handfuls of dust into the air.

 

Application

How easily am I sucked in to becoming a member of the incited crowd? Is it possible at times to be one of the small band of agitators to gain my own way through manipulation and the clever usage of words that I know will get an instant reaction? How ready am I to be the accused? Am I willing to stand for a principle or a truth that is unpopular and may cause me to become a target for the agitator and the incited crowd? These moments don’t even need to be in the context of a public forum, these can be issues I face with my close circle of friends, or within the confines of my own family. Paul knew the truth and he had a conviction to hold true. It’s so important for me to have a clear understanding of the issues at hand that incense the crowd before adding my voice to their cries for justice or else I to run the risk of just being agitated into action through ignorance.

 

Prayer

Lord, help me to hold to the convictions of my heart. Even if I’m wrongly accused or see the intimidating actions of the incensed mob. Help me also to be wise in adding my voice with the crowd if I don’t know all of the facts. It’s so easy to be carried along by the things that sound right. Grant me a discerning heart in the days that lie ahead and help me to discover the truth before raising my voice.

 

Jim Jung