Greeting the Good News

Acts 17:1-15

           I would like to suggest, heretic that I sometimes am, that the Good News is much more than the words, life and teachings of Jesus Christ. I would argue that the Good News includes any human words that try to free people from the tyranny of sin. Any words that proclaim the spirit ( or Spirit ) of Jesus' life that let us know that all people are included, all people are beloved creations of the Father and that we must resist human conventions that have a will to power and suffer men to degrading lives, suffering and marginalization.

           As with today's scripture passage, the Good News was not and is still not always met with an open mind and heart.  People do their best it would seem to fight for the status quo. For some reason people seem horribly invested in being right. They cannot possibly be wrong.  In fact I think that many people believe that salvation and God's love is for a rather exclusive club. Newcomers and strangers need not apply.

            One of the many gifts Jesus ( and by extension the early church, Peter, Paul and even Mary ) was that love is not static. God's love is constantly expanding and never ending. God's love is boundless.

             But how are the proclaimers of the Good News received? In today's passage there were some Jews that followed Paul at great lengths to suppress the Good News. Throughout history people that proclaimed knowledge, love and inclusiveness were not always met with cheers. Think of Galileo. Think of Rosa Parks. Think of those who proclaim equality of all people under God. What about those that proclaimed women's rights. How was Rosa Parks greeted? What of those that proclaim gay rights and our equality, dignity and beloved status by God?  Many within churches are suppressed and punished for the Good News of salvation for all.  Today on the web I noted a story of a Baptist church that was being stripped of it's charter (?) because that congregation would not condemn marriage equality.

        The fight to proclaim the Good News often challenges but is truly valid when it proclaims Jesus' message of love, hope, forgiveness and inclusiveness.

After Paul and Silas had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three sabbath days argued with them from the scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, ‘This is the Messiah, Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you.’ Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. But the Jews became jealous, and with the help of some ruffians in the market-places they formed a mob and set the city in an uproar. While they were searching for Paul and Silas to bring them out to the assembly, they attacked Jason’s house. When they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some believers before the city authorities, shouting, ‘These people who have been turning the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has entertained them as guests. They are all acting contrary to the decrees of the emperor, saying that there is another king named Jesus.’ The people and the city officials were disturbed when they heard this, and after they had taken bail from Jason and the others, they let them go.

That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas off to Beroea; and when they arrived, they went to the Jewish synagogue. These Jews were more receptive than those in Thessalonica, for they welcomed the message very eagerly and examined the scriptures every day to see whether these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, including not a few Greek women and men of high standing. But when the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Beroea as well, they came there too, to stir up and incite the crowds. Then the believers^* immediately sent Paul away to the coast, but Silas and Timothy remained behind. Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and after receiving instructions to have Silas and Timothy join him as soon as possible, they left him.