Scoffers And Scorners

Let’s not lose sight of the fact that this text is our spiritual garden for this week. Let’s not forget that all are eligible and most graciously welcome to hear its words and receive its abundance. But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the crowds. Acts 17: 13

We note with rejoicing hearts that Jews and others, followed the Word of God and were persuaded to give their lives to Jesus. Can’t you just see them fully engrossed by Paul’s teaching and preaching and checking the Scriptures which they knew well, with every petal, or stem, or branch, which Paul offered them? On the other hand, there were Jews who were in no way persuaded by Paul’s preaching. They followed the Word of God alright, but to foul means. They wanted to rid their city of all that Paul was preaching, in the Name of Jesus Christ. These diehards in their traditions, ways, speech and worship, followed Paul and Silas to ensure, not life, but death was given to the offered Word of God. 

To follow Paul and Silas is to follow the Word of God, for the Word was placed and maintained within their lives, by the ever-present, abiding Holy Spirit. What a rich, luscious spiritual garden of life-helping and life-healing words and works! Will you admit that this is not just grace for Paul alone? This free grace is for all who, like Paul are prepared to know no other Master, Leader, Teacher, Companion and Abider but God, the Holy  Spirit. This also means that when hearers of the Word of God hear you, in following you, they are following the Word of God in you. The same obtains on the other side. In following the Word of God, people will follow you. 

Since one is not promised sunshine without rain, or pleasant without the unpleasant, what Paul is experiencing here is not unusual and uncommon. I dear to even say that what the Word of God is experiencing, is most normal. In His public teaching and preaching, has not Jesus openly stated for all those hearing and listening to the word of God, that some will have hearing ears and others will not?

We listen to Jesus tell the parable of the Sower and when He had spoken it, He declared these words to all those present. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! Matthew 13: 9. We know that Jesus was referring to, and speaking of, in the most part, the religious, law-abiding Jews, who resisted Jesus to the hilt, saying that righteousness came from the faithful observance of the law, for one thing. We also remember how God spoke to His prophet Ezekiel when, through the Holy Spirit, He put the Word of God in His servant and sent him to speak to the Jews, the children of Israel's God. And the spirit entered into me when he spake to me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake to me. Ezekiel 2: 2. God told Ezekiel to speak to the children of Israel, who had become rebellious, impudent and stiffhearted. For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD. And they, whether they will hear or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them. Ezekiel 2: 4 - 5 KJV. 

This word is needed, desperately needed at that, to be clearly understood by all of us who listen to the Word of God, given by the sent servants of God. Some will hear and some will forbear. For all who have been sent with God’s expressed Word, it is to be confidently given whether listeners hear or forbear.  We are now looking at the responses, words and actions of those who heard the Word of God from Paul and their forbearing was not at all quiet. 

Pause for a bit! Where are we in the garden? I want to say that in one of the episodes which I saw, in one area or place, to my surprise, I saw one with a bobcat felling trees and clearing lands in which were many of the plants and herbs of which I spoke. I don’t know the reason for clearing the land, as these shows come without captions and not much speaking. When, on the odd occasion, someone says something to another, it’s in a language which I do not understand. Albeit, the point I am making is that here was someone ridding the land of those wonderful plants. Indeed, with God’s spiritually laden garden, there are people who come like bulldozers, to get rid of God’s Word and God’s servants.