“It’s my turn to go down the slide!”
“I decide who goes next.”
“Who made you king of the slide?”
“Hey, it’s my turn, you’ve gone down the slide more than anyone!”
“Prove it!” And the argument begins. Sides are taken. The line is drawn in the sand followed by a fight. The monitor of the playground comes over quickly to rectify the situation. Playtime stops until the issue is resolved.
To this former teacher, who daily brought resolution to disagreeing kids on the playground and in the classroom, the story of how Paul was accused by the “old school” Jews with no proof to substantiate their charges is relatable. The Jews stand firm on traditional religion that forgot God and have no real relationship with Him. Paul is a passionate, committed believer and follower of Jesus who has given him the gift of relationship with God. He stands firm in his faith of Jesus as the risen Savior and Lord—the only Way to a relationship with eternal life with God.
Who would you choose to support? The people who present their case most eloquently? The ones who would support you if you were accused without evidence? Would you go along with the current power holders as a good political move for you that might give you benefits later or punish you if you do no go along? Or would you side with the one who spoke truth.
This is the real issue: Truth or Lies.
And where is the playground monitor?! Not to worry, God is in control of the entire situation.
Acts 25, The Message
An Appeal to Caesar
25 1-3 Three days after Festus arrived in Caesarea to take up his duties as governor, he went up to Jerusalem. The high priests and top leaders renewed their vendetta against Paul. They asked Festus if he wouldn’t please do them a favor by sending Paul to Jerusalem to respond to their charges. A lie, of course—they had revived their old plot to set an ambush and kill him along the way.
4-5 Festus answered that Caesarea was the proper jurisdiction for Paul, and that he himself was going back there in a few days. “You’re perfectly welcome,” he said, “to go back with me then and accuse him of whatever you think he’s done wrong.”
6-7 About eight or ten days later, Festus returned to Caesarea. The next morning he took his place in the courtroom and had Paul brought in. The minute he walked in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem were all over him, hurling the most extreme accusations, none of which they could prove.
8 Then Paul took the stand and said simply, “I’ve done nothing wrong against the Jewish religion, or the Temple, or Caesar. Period.”
9 Festus, though, wanted to get on the good side of the Jews and so said, “How would you like to go up to Jerusalem, and let me conduct your trial there?”
10-11 Paul answered, “I’m standing at this moment before Caesar’s bar of justice, where I have a perfect right to stand. And I’m going to keep standing here. I’ve done nothing wrong to the Jews, and you know it as well as I do. If I’ve committed a crime and deserve death, name the day. I can face it. But if there’s nothing to their accusations—and you know there isn’t—nobody can force me to go along with their nonsense. We’ve fooled around here long enough. I appeal to Caesar.”
12 Festus huddled with his advisors briefly and then gave his verdict: “You’ve appealed to Caesar; you’ll go to Caesar!”
* * *
13-17 A few days later King Agrippa and his wife, Bernice, visited Caesarea to welcome Festus to his new post. After several days, Festus brought up Paul’s case to the king. “I have a man on my hands here, a prisoner left by Felix. When I was in Jerusalem, the high priests and Jewish leaders brought a bunch of accusations against him and wanted me to sentence him to death. I told them that wasn’t the way we Romans did things. Just because a man is accused, we don’t throw him out to the dogs. We make sure the accused has a chance to face his accusers and defend himself of the charges. So when they came down here I got right on the case. I took my place in the courtroom and put the man on the stand.
18-21 “The accusers came at him from all sides, but their accusations turned out to be nothing more than arguments about their religion and a dead man named Jesus, who the prisoner claimed was alive. Since I’m a newcomer here and don’t understand everything involved in cases like this, I asked if he’d be willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there. Paul refused and demanded a hearing before His Majesty in our highest court. So I ordered him returned to custody until I could send him to Caesar in Rome.”
22 Agrippa said, “I’d like to see this man and hear his story.”
“Good,” said Festus. “We’ll bring him in first thing in the morning and you’ll hear it for yourself.”
23 The next day everybody who was anybody in Caesarea found his way to the Great Hall, along with the top military brass. Agrippa and Bernice made a flourishing grand entrance and took their places. Festus then ordered Paul brought in.
24-26 Festus said, “King Agrippa and distinguished guests, take a good look at this man. A bunch of Jews petitioned me first in Jerusalem, and later here, to do away with him. They have been most vehement in demanding his execution. I looked into it and decided that he had committed no crime. He requested a trial before Caesar and I agreed to send him to Rome. But what am I going to write to my master, Caesar? All the charges made by the Jews were fabrications, and I’ve uncovered nothing else.
26-27 “That’s why I’ve brought him before this company, and especially you, King Agrippa: so we can come up with something in the nature of a charge that will hold water. For it seems to me silly to send a prisoner all that way for a trial and not be able to document what he did wrong.”
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
We learn the character traits to be desired from the response of the accused. After two years in prison, Paul awaited a new trial before the Romans and the Jews. He hoped his appeal to be heard by Caesar would fulfill part of his task to spread the gospel. Paul never lost hope or vision and made the most of his situation to obtain safe passage to Rome to await trial. While preaching to everyone he came in touch with, Paul developed a positive and respected reputation among those he met.
Paul prayed along with his fellow believers that in every circumstance, Christ is preached as Lord and Savior. Paul certainly made the most of every opportunity. (See Colossians 4) Being passed from leader to leader, Jesus is preached as the forgiving Savior of sins and the risen Lord of hope of eternal life. The leaders response to the Message is in God’s purview and theirs via God’s Holy Spirit at work!
Paul relied on God’s Holy Spirit for wisdom. Paul knew that his destination was Rome, not Jerusalem, and the fastest way to get there was to appeal to Caesar. Paul also knew that the Jews had not given up their hopes of killing him, so he was wise to stay under the protection of Rome. By appealing to Caesar, Paul forced the Romans to guard him and take him to Rome. Finally, Paul realized that he could never have a fair trial in Jerusalem anyway.
Paul could have moaned and groaned the typical, “Why me?” But he did not. Instead, knowing what Jesus suffered for him to save his soul, Paul rejoiced in knowing Jesus and sharing in this suffering so he could be more like him in every way. (See Philippians 3)
Paul knew God was in control and waited for what God would do next. Waiting is a major part of our committed faith to God! These verses give us a glimpse of a fully committed heart to Jesus and sums up who Paul is in Jesus:
“This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him!”—Paul, Romans 8:15-17, MSG
Lord,
I give you my life as an offering. Show me the next steps. I’m yours. I’m listening.
In Jesus Name, Amen
Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus) 