Paul is amazing. He certainly understood his time, his culture, his rights and people. I love the story of his arrest in Jerusalem. It's almost funny how Paul handled the crowds, the Roman soldiers and the situation. Now obviously the Romans were into power and control. When a ruckus broke out over Paul, the Romans quickly arrived to put down the disturbance. Paul was quickly put into custody and led off to be flogged.
Here's the part I like. I can picture the scene. Paul waits until they've stretched him out on the flogging rack. He lets the Roman soldiers get all fired up about laying some licks on him. And just about the time the first soldiers rares back to let go with the first blow, Paul humbly, yet confidently, asks the centurion if it was common practice to whip Roman Citizens without a trial. I can see the centurion grabbing the arm of the soldier before he lets fly. "What did you say? Are you a Roman Citizen?" Paul, "Why yes I am?"
Now here's where it gets really funny. The centurion knows he's in real trouble now so he makes a beeline to the commander. Can you hear that conversation? "Ugh, Commander, Sir, the prisoner says he's a Roman Citizen. What do we do?" Now both the commander and the centurion realize they're both in hot water. If Paul really is a Roman Citizen, the could lose their jobs, even their lives for the way they treated Paul. The commander immediately goes to Paul, probably still tied to the flogging rack.
The commander verifies that Paul is Roman Citizen, but wants to clarify what level of a citizen Paul is. The commander states that he paid a big price to become a Roman Citizen with all its rights and privileges. Paul says, "That's really nice. I was born a Roman Citizen." Now the commander knows he's in real trouble. Paul's status gave him superior rights and privileges not given to the average schmo. The commander has to get this resolved.
The resolution leads to a trial with the Sanhedrin, the ruling Jewish Council. And here again, knowing the make up of the Sanhedrin and the hot button issues, Paul uses it to to turn one side against the other. He takes the focus off of him and changes the point of contention or the issue at hand. Paul wisely states that he is being accused because he believed in the resurrection. Sadducees didn't believe in the resurrection while Pharisees avidly held to the resurrection of the dead and spirits and angels. Now the debate is on and does it become heated. It was so heated that Paul was removed from the midst and now his hope of going to Rome is going to come true.
It doesn't sound too much like a spiritual issue, but in fact it is. Paul used his understanding and position to place himself in an all expense paid trip to Rome to present the Gospel to the Emperor. Paul was patient. He listen to God's Spirit. Followed His lead. Took the opportunities. Allowed to the Lord to work out the details and relied on God's strength.
God, too often I get so caught up in the circumstance I'm facing that I can't see the forest for the trees. Help me to open my eyes and my mind to you. Give me the guidance I need to reveal your truth and follow your plan.
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