Acts 21 reminds me of going home. After moving away, returning to the old home town intertwines anticipation of seeing old friends with fears about others that may see us. Not every reunion is pleasant. Old reputations and rumors can linger. Today’s lesson is about facing our past. We begin with Paul wrapping up his 20 year odyssey with plans to return to Jerusalem. Paul and his companions visited many of the churches on the way, and nearly everyone said the same thing; “they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem”. Each stop began with an encouraging word for the locals, and ended with emotional prayers for Paul’s safety. One prophet in Caesarea “took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it”. He declared, “In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles”. And again Paul’s friends “pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem”. Paul was fully aware of the dangers, but he was prepared to teach the gospel of grace to every Jew and Gentile in the Roman world. Paul did not yield. He spoke directly to those gathered. “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready… to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus”. How can you argue with that? “After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem”. Who do you avoid?
“When we arrived at Jerusalem”, they were warmly received by the disciples there. Paul anxiously “reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles”. Together, “they praised God”. They excitedly told Paul about the changes in Jerusalem. “Many thousands of Jews have believed”. Traditional Jewish men and women came to accept Jesus as Messiah. They expected all followers of Christ to know and follow all the Jewish traditions. They heard Paul taught Jews to “turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children”. Wild exaggerations about Paul preceded him, making him an easy target for the establishment. His friends warned, “They will certainly hear that you have come”. Wisely, they advised Paul to go through the Temple purification rites to show “that you yourself are living in obedience to the law”. Paul did everything the law required to avoid intentionally offending anyone.
When the seven days of purification were nearly completed, “some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him”. They accused Paul of teaching people all over Asia against Jewish faith. “They dragged him from the temple”. The stirred up crowd were “trying to kill him” when “news reached the commander of the Roman troops”. When the rioters saw the Roman soldiers, “they stopped beating Paul”. The Roman commander arrested Paul, bound him in chains and asked what he had done. It is important to note that Paul had done nothing wrong. The rioters were causing the havoc. “The violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers”. As Paul was being whisked away, he spoke to the Roman commander using formal Greek. This surprised the commander who had assumed Paul was a common troublemaker. Paul spoke in the language of the educated elite, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people”. As a Roman citizen, Paul had extensive privileges and protections. The commander gave him permission, and, “Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd”. It says the crowd was silent as he began to address them using the language of the common man. Paul came back for this very purpose. With full authority, he would teach them the simple message of forgiveness through Christ. With humility, Paul offered hope to those who had been attacking him moments before. He told them how Jesus changed his life. My friend, what do you do when you go home?