Acts 14:15 “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them.
What struck me in today’s reading is the lengths that those spreading the gospel had to go through during this time. On the one hand, they were dealing with people who thought they were Greek gods come to earth. They had to try to work through education to enlighten the people on God’s power and Jesus’s love.
Acts 14:18 Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.
On the other hand, they had to work against other groups preaching other truths who stoned Paul, they thought to death, and carried on as though it were nothing. Paul, who wasn’t dead, essentially brushed it off and went back to preaching the good news.
Acts 14:19 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead.
Lord, sometimes Your command to “love one another as I have loved you” feels so difficult. Today’s passage, however, reminds me that what You ask of me is absolutely doable. Help me to love You and love Your people always. Amen.
Acts 14:20 But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.
Have a blessed day.