Things have just become tense here in the synagogue at Thessalonica. That didn’t take long, I know! You might be seeing a trend here, but as Paul and Silas continue with their mission assignment, they are received with mixed reviews. Some love them; others loathe them. The message of Messiah’s coming, his offer of the Kingdom of Heaven to Israel, Israel’s rejection of it, Messiah’s subsequent torture, death, and being raised from the dead… This is a divisive message indeed–especially in light of Israel’s rejection of God’s Kingdom offer.
This message didn’t start with Paul or Silas though. It was predicted by the prophets and Jesus himself. Shortly before he was crucified, Jesus spent his final days in the Jerusalem temple, sharing parable after parable about the Kingdom of Heaven and what would happen should the existing religious leadership not receive their forever king.
Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because the crowd considered Him to be a prophet.
— Matthew 21:43-45
Needless to say, the religious leaders weren’t impressed. They were threatened by this one man’s voice and needed him to go away.
Taking their cues from Jesus’ playbook, Paul and Silas were commissioned to follow in his footsteps. They would throw down the gauntlet with a similar message and leave the results up to God, unconcerned with what might happen to them along the way. It’s no surprise then that they would be run out of the synagogues and cities for their message.
With the message of the Kingdom of Heaven comes division. Some will love it; others will loathe it. But Jesus knew that. He understood that a line in the sand would be drawn when he explained the offer of the Kingdom of Heaven. Some would love him; others would loathe him.
“Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; and A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.
— Matthew 10:32-36
Paul and Silas were honest and upfront with Jason and the others in Thessalonica, explaining how persecution was to be expected not only for them but for anyone who was receptive to the Gospel–especially those Greeks who had converted to Judaism and believed the message of the Kingdom of Heaven. Later in his writings to those in Thessalonica, Paul shares this:
…so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know.
— 1 Thessalonians 3:3-4
Neither Paul nor Silas painted a rosy picture for those learning about the Kingdom of Heaven.
The mere fact that Jason continued to have them reside with him means that he knew of the dangers. He knew the potential backlash for receiving these two into his home, yet he did it anyway. Even if Jason said very little, he willingly placed himself in harm’s way for the sake of the Gospel by welcoming Paul, Silas and Timothy (once he arrived) into his home. Jason made his voice known by his actions.
Where’s your voice? While lifestyle and technology have drastically changed how we do things today, God has still given you a voice, whereby you express the message of the Kingdom of Heaven to others. Can I encourage you to find your voice? To find the platform you will use to make your voice heard? It might be on a blog or podcast like this, but you may have your own way of expressing your voice. The trick is to be sharing the Kingdom of Heaven in the way that fits your style best.
Let’s wrap this up. Suffering for the sake of the message of Messiah, Jesus, is part of the deal, though it will vary for many of us, depending on where we live and the voice we have. But take courage:
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
— Romans 8:16-18
May you be a voice for God; May you find your platform to voice the salvation that Jesus has brought us. May you share openly in your conversations with others and leave the results to God.