Acts 25 :: Politics, Politics

Acts 25 in The Message and TNIV translations

I feel like I am watching a bad episode of Law & Order.  We are getting the courtroom scenes, but none of the investigation going on with the detectives who are trying to prove the truth.  In every scene, the prosecution offers up "evidence," the defendant says "Objection," and the ruling official says "Sustained."  Nothing sticks, nothing is found, nothing happens.

There is a line in chapter 24 relating to Felix and how he was trying to handle the Paul-situation.  In verse 22, Luke writes, "But uncertain of his best move politically, he played for time."  It seems that this has been  the decision every time.  Nobody views the truth as a good "political move."  The Jews are powerful...too powerful.  The state is being run by the church and the church is corrupt - actually blind to the truth.

Today, we are reintroduced to Festus - he was the wavering official back in Jerusalem.  He gets a second chance to get this thing right.  He gets to Caesarea and finds that this old case is back in his lap.  Still not wanting to deal with it, he offers to send Paul back to Jerusalem, but Paul says no thanks and would rather gain the audience of Caesar.  Before sending Paul to Caesar, King Agrippa visits.  The King agrees to hear Paul's side of the story.  So the scene is set and the story will be told one more time.  How will this one end?  We'll see in the next chapter.

At this point in our reading, the story seems to have outgrown the chapters.  "Lather, rinse and repeat" is what I keep feeling.  The same Paul, a different court and the same result: back in prison."  The story, however is about to reach its climax.  I can feel it coming down to a close.  I can see the collision between good and evil.

Core Virtue :: PATIENCE

I take a long time to overheat and endure patiently under the unavoidable pressures of life.

Those who are patient have great understanding, but the quick-tempered display folly.

Proverbs 14:29

patience |ˈpā sh əns|noun1 the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset : you can find bargains if you have the patience to sift through the dross.

I would love to write about patience today, but I don't have the time.

If you are like me, you grew up with a mother who would often say, "Patience is a virtue," when she was just wanting me to wait. While waiting does require a degree of patience, patience as a virtue is much more.

I like the definition above from the dictionary. Patience is the capacity to tolerate suffering without getting angry. For those of us who struggle with patience, it's not just that we have ants in our pants. We literally get angry when we have to wait or endure suffering of any sort. Can you imagine what might have happened, had Jesus been deficient in patience? He would have made Peter look very calm and mild-mannered.

We've all seen this, if not been there before. That child who doesn't get their way and throws a fit in the store or at the restaurant. Most adults don't throw that kind of tantrum, but we do still get angry and irritated when things don't go our way. We get this gnawing feeling inside that we have a hard time shaking. We want what we want and we want it now.

For the Christ-follower, this is a terrible way to live. We cannot fully embrace the spontaneity of a life lived to the full, if we are constantly trying to control our circumstances to meet our time tables. Some of the most memorable moments in Jesus' ministry were unplanned interruptions. I don't want to miss those, and I don't want you to miss them either.

Parenting Patience ::

KidsKreed: I am slowing down and waiting because God is in control.

Helping children learn to be patient is a standard for every parent. We are no different here. Our kids struggle with selfish impatience just like every kid. Finding ways to help our children endure waiting because God is in control is what makes us different. We don't teach our kids to wait, just because we said so, but because there is a bigger story being written than just the one that stars them.

Q&A ::

Why is it hard for us to wait for what we want?

What makes it easier to wait for what we want?

How does knowing God is in control make a difference in our waiting?