Finding a ready audience
Acts 13:42-52
42 As Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people urged them to speak about these things again the next sabbath. 43 When the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.
44 The next sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy; and blaspheming, they contradicted what was spoken by Paul. 46 Then both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, ‘It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you reject it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of eternal life, we are now turning to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,
“I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles,
so that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”’
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and praised the word of the Lord; and as many as had been destined for eternal life became believers. 49 Thus the word of the Lord spread throughout the region. 50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, and stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their region. 51 So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them, and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
It was a chaotic week for Paul and Barnabas in Pisidian Antioch. Jews from the synagogue had come to faith, and these needed to be discipled in the ways of Jesus. In fact, these people invited Paul and Barnabas back to preach the following Sabbath.
There was so much interest in town raised by what the rumour mill was creating that it felt like the whole town showed up the following Sabbath to hear Paul speak. The warm reception from the previous Sabbath was followed by a very cold reception on the next Sabbath. An opposition was being created among the elites of the community (see vs. 50) who were being rallied to oppose Paul and Barnabas and the church. Strong words are used in vs. 45 – “jealousy” which gives a motive to those opposed to the gospel; and “blaspheming” which is a very strong word saying the opposition knew that what Paul and Barnabas was saying was the truth, but the opposition chose to resist that truth.
Paul and Barnabas did not continue to argue with the opposition, instead they move to intentionally share the good news with the Gentiles. This is a noteworthy strategy, instead of arguing with opponents they moved on to talk to a group of people, the Gentiles, who were regarded as people not interested in talking about religious things, especially not talking about such things with Jews. But it is with these people who were supposedly opposed to religious conversation that Paul and Barnabas find a hearing – this group “were glad and praised the word of God” (vs. 48) and “the word of the Lord spread” (vs. 49).
We often think we know how people will respond to attempts to talk about Jesus, this passage encourages us to not be too quick to assume we know what people will say or do when we talk to them about Jesus.
PRAYER:
God of good news, we are often convinced that certain people would not be interested in talking about your Son, Jesus. And we are silent. Help us to trust that you are at work in people’s hearts making them more ready than we think they will be to talk about Jesus and the good news he brings. In Jesus’ name. Amen.