Our Venerable Father and Confessor Michael, Bishop of Synada (826); Venerable Euphrosyne of Polotsk, Hegumena of the Monastery of the Holy Saviour (1173)
Acts 17:1-15; John 11:47-57
Read Acts 17:1-15
Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!
No matter where Paul went and preached the Good News of Jesus Christ, he was met with some sort of opposition, sometimes even leading to being beaten by rods and thrown into a deep, dark, dank prison (yesterday’s readings from Acts). People were challenged by his proclamation that Jesus was in fact the Messiah. Many listened to him and they came to faith; others didn’t want their worldview to be challenged and found ways to bring false charges against Paul and his companions. Some may read the Acts of the Apostles and wonder why Paul just didn’t give up with such opposition.
Well, Paul was not presenting an idea or an ideal in which he was trying flatter people in order to persuade them to his camp. Paul did not have a camp, nor did he belong to a camp (something in which he rejoiced). No, Paul was all about and only about bringing the truth of who Jesus Christ is to as many people as possible. Just as he had encountered the crucified and risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, so, too, he spoke and exhorted others so that they may also encounter the very same Lord Jesus Christ! The Lord, the Messiah, the Christ—Jesus—is not some abstract idea… He is a Person with whom we can have a relationship.