Our Holy Father Nicephorus the Confessor (829)
Acts 25:13-19; John 16:23-33
Read Acts 25:13-19
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
Here we have Festus giving an account of Paul’s trial on charges against Paul being made by the Jewish leaders. In the verses immediately prior, it is noted that Festus wanted to do the Jews a favour. So, without delay, Festus heard the accusations against Paul in court.
While expecting some crime was committed by Paul, all Faustus hears is a religious dispute between the Jews and Paul. The Jews have their bizarre superstitions and Paul believes that a dead man is alive. This is strange for Faustus, but nothing particularly dangerous. His tone about the whole thing is dismissive.
Such a dismissive attitude remains very common up to our own day. Most people really have no use for a God who created the world, interacts with the world, and sends His Son into the world for the life of the world. Most people have never experienced the true joy and life that the grace of God brings to life, and, as a result, aren’t interested in doctrinal disputes between people who claim to know this God, as would have happened between Paul and the Jews.
But later, Paul does get executed. Something happened, and he became dangerous. He committed no real crime, of course. But he became dangerous because the life he lived, filled with the Holy Spirit, shook the order of the world around him. He preached and lived the Gospel, which would have been horribly scandalous to both the Jews and the pagan Romans.
In our own day, when we live the Gospel, we will become a scandal to others. Most people today just pass by the beggar in the street and give him no attention. The Christian may stop to speak with that beggar, or perhaps give him some money or food. That will shock people.
Most people today happily and thoughtlessly acquiesce to the common societal thinking that sex and sexuality are merely fun things meant for personal enjoyment or fulfilment. The Christian pushes back and argues for and lives the holiness of sexual love between a husband and a wife, while quite strongly insisting that outside of such a relationship it is unhealthy and not conducive to a good and happy life. That will shock people.
These are just two of countless examples of how someone filled with the Holy Spirit lives differently than the world around himself. And, especially with my second example, this can incite incredible rage and hatred against individual Christians and the Church. But, like Paul, we should never be afraid. Christ is always in is and with us, and the Holy Spirit empowers us.