I read something in the Bible that made me laugh. I’m convinced that humour was not the practise when penning the pages of the Word so maybe I was just in a silly mood, but something appealed to me while reading from Acts Chapter 17 about Paul on one of his missionary journeys through Europe. While in Athens, he spoke openly about Jesus, His death and resurrection. He stood in the synagogues and in the marketplace and they liked what he had to say. The intellectuals were drawn to what he had to say. They invited him to talk about the Gospel to them because they thought he was bringing some ‘strange ideas to their ears’ and they liked it! The part that tickled me was the comment in verse 21, where Luke wrote that they were interested because they spent all their time just doing nothing. All day long they talked about and listened to the latest ideas! In retrospect, it’s not as funny as when I read it the other day, but I still have a silly picture in my head of men in togas looking a bit overweight and under-inspired! A couple of thousand years down the line, with the addition of the internet and more complicated clothing, not much has changed in man’s search for new and strange ideas that tickle the ears. So much information and seemingly more choices, but still one great need: The search for Truth.
The biblical Athenians raised an idol ‘to an unknown god’ (verse 23) and the need to praise, honour, respect and submit to something greater has never changed, because that is how we have been created. I love the idea of spending all my time doing nothing but talk about and listen to the greatest new ideas, but I don’t need to figure this big one out. I already have. If you’re a Christ follower, so have you. We know who our God is and what He has done. Paul needed to explain this to the Greeks, just as we’ve had it explained to us and we need to let others know about it. We don’t need to be part of some Mediterranean brains trust. The gospel is straight forward. It may not be easy to accept, and the cost is something we’ll never ever grasp, but the message is there for all to understand. It’s foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Cor 2:14), but they are always looking for the next big thing, but when it’s time; they’ll get it. So now we simply share it; the Truth. There are always people searching, and we need to always be sharing. Their need is met by our natter and we have a divine appointment set up. Now the Holy Spirit does what is needed and then it’s between that guy or gal and God. Verse 33 of Acts chapter 17 tells us that many followed Paul and believed, some of them, the very same intellectuals. Don’t underestimate the need out there for this Message. Just do your little bit, and share the Gospel and God will take care of the rest and who knows; you may be instrumental in someone’s eternal destiny; how big is that!