God Running is a place for anyone who wants to (or even anyone who wants to want to) love Jesus more deeply, follow Jesus more closely, and love people the way Jesus wants us to.
In our last post from the book of Acts we saw how much God loves kids and the special assignments He gives them. If you’re interested, you can read more here: “How God Feels About Kids (and the special assignments He gives them)–Acts 23:12-22”. In today’s post, we’ll see how the tribune, Lysias, leaves something incriminating out of his letter to Felix, the procurator of Judea Province, and what that has to do with you and with me, and how we follow Jesus.
Acts 23:25-30
And he wrote a letter to this effect:
“Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings. This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen. And desiring to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council. I found that he was being accused about questions of their law, but charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. And when it was disclosed to me that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him.”
According to Keener, the tribune starts his letter with a standard greeting that begins with his name which is Lysias, a Greek name. Claudius comes before Lysias because Claudius was the emperor at the time Lysias achieved Roman citizenship. Felix, whose full name was Tiberius Claudius Felix, or Tiberius Claudius Antonius Felix, hasn’t received favorable reviews from ancient historians. He was known for his corruption and his severity.
As we saw in Acts 22, the tribune, Lysias, the writer of this letter, is the very same tribune who ordered Paul to be flogged. Which was illegal. Because Paul was a Roman citizen, and Paul told him as much which caused the tribune to become afraid and so he ordered his Roman soldiers to stand down. (Acts 22:22-29)
But in the letter we see that the tribune Lysias portrays himself as Paul’s rescuer, which only tells part of the story: “This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen.”
Lysias fails to mention his illegal order to have Paul flogged.
A Person Who Resembled Jesus
In contrast to Lysias the tribune, there was this firefighter I worked with for most of my career. His name is Dennis Macey. He was one of the most intelligent people in our organization, he was one of the strongest and most capable on the fireground, and he was easily the most charitable and gracious and merciful. He was one of the most respected firefighters in the region. Anyone who knew him loved him.
But you would never know it by the way he carried himself.
Dennis was humble. And when Dennis communicated anything about himself, he communicated with a beautiful understated eloquence.
Humility and Communication
It seems like some people share about themselves the way Lysias did. They try to portray themselves as more of a rescuer than they really are. Or more of a hero than they really are. Or more productive than they really are. Or busier than they really are. Or smarter, or stronger, or–well, just better than they really are.
I think, generally, as a Jesus follower, our communication should be just the opposite.
As a Jesus follower, we should strive to communicate about ourselves with a humble, understated, eloquence.
I know for me personally, few people have influenced me more for Christ than Dennis Macey.
And a big part of that influence is because of his humility.
The Lord, who alone loves mankind,
who created the lakes, the rivers, and the seas,
gave us a special commandment of love
when he wrapped a towel around His waist
and washed the feet of His disciples;
He humbled Himself in the greatness of His goodness,
raising us from the depths of evil.
– Kathisma Hymn from the Matins of Great and Holy Thursday
“Father, have mercy on us, Your little children. Help us to resist the temptation to present ourselves as more than we really are. Bless us with the beautiful humility of Jesus. Help us to communicate about ourselves in a way that’s pleasing to You. Help us to communicate about ourselves with a humble, understated, eloquence.
“In Jesus name we ask this of You.
“Amen.”
Notes:
Craig Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, IVP Academic; 2nd edition, January 3, 2014, pp. 400-401
Image of foot washing by Molly Sabourin via flickr — Creative Commons. I very much enjoyed Molly Sabourin’s photos and I hope you’ll pay her a visit on flickr. The Kathisma Hymn above was included with her photo of the foot washing. Thank you Molly for all your inspiration!
Available on Google Play Books and on Amazon!
Love Like Jesus: How Jesus Loved People (and how you can love like Jesus)
Love Like Jesus begins with the story of how after a life of regular church attendance and Bible study, Bennett was challenged by a pastor to study Jesus. That led to an obsessive seven year deep dive. After pouring over Jesus’ every interaction with another human being, he realized he was doing a much better job of studying Jesus’ words than he was following Jesus’ words and example. The honest and fearless revelations of Bennett’s own moral failures affirm he wrote this book for himself as much as for others. Love Like Jesus examines a variety of stories, examples, and research, including:
- Specific examples of how Jesus communicated God’s love to others.
- How Jesus demonstrated all five of Gary Chapman’s love languages (and how you can too).
- The story of how Billy Graham extended Christ’s extraordinary love and grace toward a man who misrepresented Jesus to millions.
- How to respond to critics the way Jesus did.
- How to love unlovable people the way Jesus did.
- How to survive a life of loving like Jesus (or how not to become a Christian doormat).
- How Jesus didn’t love everyone the same (and why you shouldn’t either).
- How Jesus guarded his heart by taking care of himself–he even napped–and why you should do the same.
- How Jesus loved his betrayer Judas, even to the very end.
With genuine unfiltered honesty, Love Like Jesus, shows you how to live a life according to God’s definition of success: A life of loving God well, and loving the people around you well too.
A life of loving like Jesus. (Kindle, hardcover, and paperback now available on Amazon and the ebook is now available on Google Play Books.)
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12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
And I will show you a still more excellent way.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (1 Co 12:12–31). (2016). Crossway Bibles.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (1 Co 12:17–24). (2016). Crossway Bibles.
Thank you, Kurt Bennett, for showing an excellent way to be a member of the body of Christ. Love the wisdom you have acquired through steadfast study of God’s words. The inspiration gained thereby is applied to give us an example of how that can be incorporated to bring glory to God’s Kingdom.
God bless your ministry and your family. Onward Christian soldiers led by our Lord Jesus and his Holy Spirit. Peace be with us and unto the people.
Amen and thank you Jeffrey! All glory to Jesus!!!