Experience: S2 - Day 34

The risk of rejection

Acts 17:32 When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” 33 That ended Paul’s discussion with them, 34 but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

I often tell people that I don’t care if you’re laughing with me or at me, as long as you’re laughing.  But I imagine for Paul, this might have stung a little.  After all, he had just poured his heart out to them, trying to make a connection between their world and his, and they responded with laughter.

The allusion is that they thought Paul was out of his mind.  The catalyst to this conclusion seems to be the talk about the resurrection of the dead, clearly not a common belief in this time.

Whatever the case, it was Paul’s comments about the resurrection that put an abrupt end to their conversation.  That was where they closed the door to the possibility of learning anything else from this foreigner.  That was where they rejected him.

But not all of them.  Luke tells us that “some joined him and became believers.” It seems like Paul went to a lot of work for “some.”  But we have to remember that God can still do immeasurably more than all we ask for or imagine.  He can take 12 men who the world had passed by and turn them into apostles who would change the world.  He can take five loaves of bread and two fish and turn them into enough food to feed more than five thousand.  He can take water and turn it into the best wine you’ve ever had.

We don’t know what seeds got planted that day in Athens.  We know what immediately happened.  Many laughed and rejected him, but some chose to follow.  My guess is, God never gave up on those that were in the crowd that day.  Whether they’d get to hear Paul again or another saint, I believe God’s Holy Spirit would continue to knock on the doors of their hearts, hoping that someday it would all come together for them and they’d surrender their life to Him.

Whatever the case, Paul was willing to take the risk of rejection. He did what the Lord asked of him and trusted God to continue to work.

That same call is ours today.  We should share the love of God in and through the person of Jesus with all who will give us an audience.  To care enough about them and respect them enough to listen to their needs, learn their story, and then try to connect it to God’s story.  Then, continue to pray over them and trust God’s work, even if their initial response is rejection.

I pray for all of us to have the courage, and joy in our hearts, to follow God and His Spirit wherever they lead us; to risk whatever He asks of us, and to trust that God will never let our work be in vain.  Whether we get to see the fruit or not, He is still the Lord of the harvest and His desire is for all of us to come to know His love.

Sharing those truths are worth the risks involved.

Questions:

1. Have you ever shared something you believed in with someone whose response was to laugh at you, and/or your belief? What did that feel like? 
2. Would you be willing to take the kinds of risks we’ve talked about in this series, even if it only won over some?  Why or why not? 
3. Think through the risks Jesus took in coming to this earth to do what he did for us.  Write them out, then spend time prayerfully consider what risks he might be asking you to take for him.