August 21st - Acts 14:14-15

Acts 14:14-15 When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you.” After Paul and Barnabas were rudely bundled out of Iconium, they fled 19 miles south to the small Roman city of Lystra. A man who had been lame from birth had been healed while Paul was speaking, and the people were so excited that they concluded Paul and Barnabas must be gods. The missionaries were slow to understand what was going on because the people were speaking in their own local language. Things went from bad to much worse when the local priest of Zeus turned up with bulls and wreaths in order to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas. Paul was determined to put the matter straight as soon as possible. He was clearly horrified to be thought of as a god. In his anguish and sadness, he dramatically tore his clothes and assured the crowd that they had totally misunderstood the situation. Every public speaker is well aware of the danger of being misunderstood. This is a particularly dramatic illustration, but the principle is the same for anyone who opens their mouth in public. If you are a public speaker, you need to always have more than a small dose of humility. However carefully you prepare and speak, there will be occasions when you are completely misunderstood. This should prompt us all to pray for preachers and teachers who perform such a vital and challenging role. Question Which preacher or teacher do you need to pray for? Prayer Loving God, I pray that You will give wisdom and grace to all Christian preachers and teachers. Amen