What! Are You Stoned?

Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead. But as the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. [Acts 14.19-20]

"Nothing to see here! Just another day of ministry!"

Paul and Barnabas were at Lystra. They healed a man with crippled feet. The people then began to worship Paul and Barnabas even making sacrifices to them. Then some Jews from Antioch and Iconium came to Lystra and convinced the very crowds who were sacrificing to Paul and Barnabas to turn against them. They stoned Paul. Thinking he was dead, they dragged him out of town. Those who believed in Jesus (the message Paul and Barnabas preached) gathered around Paul and he got up alive and went back into town. Oh, and the next day, Paul and Barnabas continued on their way.

When Jesus said He would show Paul "...how much he must suffer for my name’s sake," (Acts 9.16), it seems Paul just took it all in stride.

It would be interesting to know what the writer of the book of Acts was thinking as he penned this account of Paul and Barnabas. Did he consciously leave out all the details and emotion? Or, were there no other significant details and emotion to report?

I cannot help but think about Paul's physical condition when they dragged him out of town. I mean, the guy had just been pummeled with rocks so badly that they were confident he was dead and so dragged him out of town (I guess to rot). The fact is, these rocks weren't nerf toys. And, the fact that Paul had been obviously knocked unconscious by however many rocks he had been hit with says he likely was a mess of cuts, bruises, dirt, blood and open wounds. And yet, after being assumed dead, he got up and walked right back into town where he had just been stoned! It brings ancient meaning to modern vernacular: "What! Are you stoned?"

It would seem that Paul and Barnabas had at least some sense of "mission" to continue on. There is no record (or evidence) of either man having a pity-party - not even for a time. How "out of his mind" and "into the Spirit" would a man have to be to act this way? It would seem he had a death wish... But, Paul did not have a death wish! Instead, he gave death no thought (one way or the other) and remained focused on one thing: spreading the message of Jesus Christ. How careless could one be? How many of us consider that carelessness though and longingly think, "that must really be a nice way to live..."? Fear is a tiresome and relentless taskmaster. But it just doesn't seem that fear was part of Paul's portfolio.

Each of us should consider our commitment to the message of Jesus. Do we even have a commitment to the Message? If we do, at what point does resistance and/or persecution make it no longer worth it? On a scale from one to ten, at what level of pain do we "call it"? For Paul, there was no scale - there was only the Message - the Truth of Jesus Christ - and He was going to declare it. Pain, suffering and even death were not even factors. I mean, Paul got up and walked right back into town where he had been stoned (presumably) to death!

When Jesus told His followers that taking up their cross and following Him was the only way, He meant it. He doesn't want our reluctant decision to "try it and see." He doesn't want our conditional commitment that we will follow at least until the pain gets to a "seven" or an "eight." He wants (and demands) our "all-in-regardless" commitment. He wants this commitment to the point that our goal is a cross - the symbol of selfless love and service to others to the point of death every day. Paul's story gives us an idea what that might look like...

Father, I know I have spouted off many "commitments" to You. But I know what I say is nothing compared to what I do. May I be found faithful to the death - my daily death on whatever cross lies before me each day. And, whether Christ is seen in me in His resurrection or in His suffering... may Christ be seen in me! So be it!