Courage is ours for the taking
In Acts 23, Paul is once again faced with a hostile crowd. He is making his defence before the Sanhedrin and things are getting heated. Paul was clever enough to understand his audience. He knew just what to say to take the attention away from himself and onto a longstanding internal debate. Sure enough, his remarks sparked controversy and, with one statement, a previously calm Sanhedrin turns into a violent uproar. People who were, just moments ago, sat calm and collected were now standing up and shouting at one another. I don't know if judges had gavels back then, but I’m pretty sure that no declarations of ‘order’ were being made and, if they were, they certainly weren’t being heard. It got so violent that Paul was forced out by troops for fear that he would be physically torn to pieces.
The next night, he was alone in the prison. I wonder what he was feeling. If it were me, I’d be a little shaken. Perhaps he was questioning whether he’d been able to get through to anyone about the gospel. Perhaps he was doubting whether he’d made the right decision in causing such an uproar. Perhaps he was wondering where God was. As far as we know, none of the other apostles were visiting him or pleading his case. Perhaps he was scared or lonely or tired or hungry.
It was in this place, in the middle of the night, that Jesus came and stood near Paul. Imagine, in the midst of your dark and lonely moment, seeing Jesus come and stand near you. I’m sure this was more of a comfort than a thousand words would have been. ‘Take courage,’ he says. In the NKJ it says, ‘be of good cheer’. Jesus is telling Paul not to be afraid and not to be disheartened. This would suggest that Paul had a choice about this.
I think we have a choice too. Wherever we find ourselves, whether it be in a hostile crowd, an angry mob, a lonely prison, we can choose to have joy. We can choose to take courage. And we can do so with confidence that there is One standing near to us who knows what it is to courageously suffer for the gospel, for love. How much more should we take courage and suffer for him.
- Bethany Milne
The next night, he was alone in the prison. I wonder what he was feeling. If it were me, I’d be a little shaken. Perhaps he was questioning whether he’d been able to get through to anyone about the gospel. Perhaps he was doubting whether he’d made the right decision in causing such an uproar. Perhaps he was wondering where God was. As far as we know, none of the other apostles were visiting him or pleading his case. Perhaps he was scared or lonely or tired or hungry.
It was in this place, in the middle of the night, that Jesus came and stood near Paul. Imagine, in the midst of your dark and lonely moment, seeing Jesus come and stand near you. I’m sure this was more of a comfort than a thousand words would have been. ‘Take courage,’ he says. In the NKJ it says, ‘be of good cheer’. Jesus is telling Paul not to be afraid and not to be disheartened. This would suggest that Paul had a choice about this.
I think we have a choice too. Wherever we find ourselves, whether it be in a hostile crowd, an angry mob, a lonely prison, we can choose to have joy. We can choose to take courage. And we can do so with confidence that there is One standing near to us who knows what it is to courageously suffer for the gospel, for love. How much more should we take courage and suffer for him.
- Bethany Milne
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