Text: Acts 26:1-7, 20-23
“When the people of Jesus follow the way of Jesus, their stories begin to look like his story.” – The Bible Project
As we have followed along through the book of Acts throughout this summer, we have seen that happen in the life of the disciples and the apostles.
God’s Spirit poured out upon their lives and they began to live like Jesus.
They formed deep communities that reached out to care for the vulnerable.
They healed the sick and raised the dead.
And they shared the hope and promise and message of Jesus Christ wherever they went.
Every step of the way… from Jerusalem… to Samaria… to the ends of the earth… people heard that good news and began to follow the way of Jesus.
As our scripture video for today reminds us this is incredibly beautiful…. But it is also dangerous.
Stephen and James were killed.
Peter and Paul were imprisoned.
Their words were met with opposition and riots and there are countless stories of beatings and narrow escapes.
After years of missionary work, Paul continues to follow the way of Jesus, and feels compelled to go to Jerusalem.
He sets his face towards the city, in much the same way that his Master had.
Prophets and friends and disciples warn him that destruction and arrest will be waiting for him, but Paul knows that this is the path he needs to take.
As Luke records in the first half of his testimony… Jesus told the disciples:
“If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it…” (Luke 9:23-24)
Paul is not afraid of the consequences.
He is not afraid to take up his cross.
In Acts 21, Paul tells those who have gathered around him, “I’m ready not only to be arrested but even to die in Jerusalem for the sake of the name of the Lord Jesus.”
He is not ashamed of the hope and promise he has claimed, and he will continue to proclaim it no matter the cost.
Deny yourself.
Take up your cross.
Follow me.
We hear the call of Jesus, but we aren’t ready to dive in head first.
We try to fit God into our lives… a few minutes here and there between work and practice and getting dinner on the table.
Which is a far cry from denying ourselves.
In the Greek, the word is arneomai – disowning, renouncing, refusing.
We are called to trust God enough to let go of all of the stuff we think we need…
To let go of the relationships that only drag you down…
To renounce the things you do to get ahead…
Really, this is about letting Jesus take the wheel because God’s way is the only way that truly leads to life.
When we hear the call to take up our cross, we turn it into some romantic idea of the burdens we bear in life. I’ve heard folks talk about the crosses in their life being an illness, or a family member who is difficult.
Too many times, I have heard people told they need to stay in an unhealthy or dangerous situation with an abusive partner, because that is their cross to bear.
Friends – let me say loudly and clearly that illness or abuse or harmful relationships are NOT what God desires for you. They are NOT signs of God’s will or punishment or something that you must bear alone. God loves you… I love you… and God desires abundant life for you. If you want or need to talk about what you are carrying, I am here to listen.
The cross that we are called to take up in scripture is not that.
Jesus is calling us to embrace the consequences of following him.
To willingly accept the punishment that might arise as a direct result of walking in the footsteps of Jesus. In his time, that was the Roman cross. But for others it was prison, stoning, leaving behind friends or family.
When you choose the life of Jesus, we leave other parts of our life behind.
And sometimes when you choose the life of Jesus, it gets you in trouble with the world.
Paul felt God calling him to Jerusalem to bring the gifts of the churches and to testify about Jesus in the heart of Jerusalem.
His arrest and the subsequent trials that he faced were his cross to bear.
But they were also an opportunity – every step of the way – to testify to the hope that sustained him.
We don’t often take the time to read these chapters or hear about his long drawn-out ordeal, so let’s take a closer look…
Initially, Paul is taken into custody by the Roman guards for… well, today we might call it disturbing the peace or inciting a riot.
But Paul is also a Roman citizen and has rights under Roman law… the right to a trial, for instance.
The captain of the guard, Claudius Lysias, is caught between a rock and a hard place.
He knows that Paul is being accused of the Jewish leaders of breaking their laws, but can’t find any charge to bring against Paul.
So he leads Paul before the High Council.
Paul proclaims that he is being faithful to God and is on trial simply because of his hope in the resurrection. The Council itself starts to fight and the Roman captain realizes this is going nowhere.
After learning of a plot to murder Paul, the captain feels his only option is to send Paul farther up the chain of command.
He is escorted to the Governor Felix for trial… and we can’t help but think about how Pilate sends Jesus away to Herod in the gospels.
Every step of the way, Paul is given the opportunity to defend himself.
And his defense is clear: “I am on trial because of my hope and belief in what God has promised… hope in the resurrection.”
Felix hears Paul’s testimony, but leaves him in jail… maybe because he is hoping Paul might offer some kind of bribe for his release.
Not for a few days… but for TWO YEARS Paul remains in custody, until a new governor is appointed.
Governor Festus inherits the problem and almost as soon as he takes office, he brings both the Jewish leaders and Paul to stand before his court in Caesarea.
The Jewish leaders bring the same old charges against Paul, but can’t prove them.
Paul for his part continues to proclaim – I’ve done nothing wrong against the law, the temple OR against Caesar.
But as a Roman citizen, Paul also knows his rights.
He has not been tried for any supposed crimes.
He has been held without any verdict or sentence.
And so he appeals to Caesar… or rather, he knows that a trial here in this place is going nowhere, so he asks that his case be tried in the highest court in the Empire – in Rome.
Now, what is interesting here is the timing. King Agrippa, Festus’s boss essentially, comes to town to help officially welcome and install Festus as the governor and so Festus has the chance to talk over the case with them.
And we get a really unique insight into how the Romans saw this religious dispute play out.
Festus says, “they didn’t charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. Instead, they quibbled with him about their own religion and about some dead man named Jesus, who Paul claimed was alive.”
He is also a bit stymied because he doesn’t actually have any official charge to pass along with Paul to Caesar’s court.
Again, Paul keeps proclaiming that he is on trial because of his hope and trust in the resurrection… and that isn’t anything that has any relevance to Roman laws.
Agrippa wants to hear Paul speak and so the next day, Paul gets the chance to testify… yet again… about his faith.
In our scripture for today, Paul proclaims once again that he has been a faithful Jew his whole life long.
He stands on trial because of his hope in the promise God gave his ancestors… a promise that was far larger than he ever imagined, but that he came to understand when Jesus himself stood before him and sent him to the Gentiles to preach repentance and forgiveness.
He continues to share God’s word of love and grace… light and life.
And we are left at the end of this chapter with a sense that his words might even have converted King Agrippa to the Way.
They are convinced at the very least that he has done nothing wrong, but since he has asked for a trial before Caesar, then that is what they must provide.
“When the people of Jesus follow the way of Jesus, their stories begin to look like his story.” – The Bible Project
If we are walking in the footsteps of Christ, there will be consequences.
There will be friction between our lives and the powers of this world.
And maybe because of that… maybe because of our fear of those consequences, we live out our faith timidly.
We treat faith as if it were a private thing between us and God.
Instead of walking boldly, setting aside our own comfort, and truly following the way of Jesus, we go to church on Sunday, read a devotion at home, donate money to help the needy here and there and hope it is enough.
It might feel easy and safe to stay on the path you are on, but I can’t help but remember the words of Jesus.
If you want to really and truly save your life, you must take up your cross and follow.
Pastor Katie, you might be thinking, that is far easier said than done…
And you are right.
It feels impossible.
We are afraid of the consequences of living out our faith – what others might think or say or how they might respond.
But I’m here to tell you that after you take the first step, it gets easier.
Because you aren’t going it alone.
You are following in the path of Jesus, and you are walking with others who are on this journey, too.
No matter how scary it gets, or what trouble pops up, Jesus has been this way before.
He will lead us in his paths.
He will help us carry the crosses we must bear.
So trust in God and live in such a way that others can see Jesus in you.
In your love… in your forgiveness… in your compassion… and in the ways that you challenge the things in this world that harm life, rather than restore it.
Speak up for the vulnerable.
Take action to provide for those in need.
Sit with the sick and the prisoners.
Talk about the hope you have in Jesus.
Be a light to the world.
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