Year 7, Day 250: Acts 17

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Mixed bag.  Those are often the words that I hear in my mind when I think about Paul’s missionary trip to Greece.  In fact, those are the words that I often think about when I consider the whole scope of Paul’s missionary trips.

Allow me some time to clarify my words, though.   I don’t mean them judgmentally.  So often we hear the expression “mixed bag” and we think it is an insult.  I absolutely don’t see any reason to insult Paul’s work.  Paul was a masterfully fearless evangelist.  His missionary trips inspire awe within me at every step.  He faced rejection, persecution, and arguments at every turn.  He was constantly defending his faith and what God had called him to teach.  His trips are incredibly inspiring.

Why, then, do I call it a mixed bag?  I call it a mixed bag because I can only imagine how hard it was on Paul.  Here is a man who is pouring his heart into his ministry.  He is risking all.  He is calling people out of their normal life and into a true and genuine relationship with Jesus Christ.  He is discipling.  He is being a part of God changing people’s lives.  At the same time, people are refuting his teaching.  They are refusing to listen.  They are choosing the ease of tradition over grace and love and challenge.  I can see the joy of Paul’s work; but I can feel the rejection of Paul, too.  In almost every place that Paul goes, people rise up and make conflict with him.  In many places, they drive him out of town.

Paul’s ministry is certainly not a mixed bag.  His ministry is awesome.  His ministry is inspiring and motivational.  The fact that he faces rejection and conflict again and again and continues to rise up, move on, and do it all over again is incredible.  The mixed bag comes because of the realization of all of the blood, sweat, and tears that happens when he is rejected.

In the end, I think this is a very prudent message to hear.  When we want to reach into the lives of people, we should expect that there will be joy and excitement and all kinds of reason to give glory and praise to God.  At the same time, we need to expect to face rejection from the world, frustration over the roadblocks, and sores from the persecution.  That’s part of what ministry is all about.  On one hand, there is nothing better.  On the other hand, there’s nothing more difficult.  I think Paul’s experience in Greece plays this out.

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