Truth can be shocking. You may not always appreciate hearing it; then again, it may be a great relief to you to learn the truth at last.
At Lystra, Paul healed a man crippled since birth. Seeing this, the Lystrans concluded that Paul and Barnabas were gods and wanted to sacrifice to them (Acts 14:6-18). Talk about preacher-itis!
Does that seem weird? Consider their background. The Lystrans sincerely believed in many gods, having known nothing but idolatry all their lives. When Paul told the man who had never taken a step in his life to “stand up straight on your feet,” he leaped up and walked! How could they explain it except that Paul must be a god? Since Paul took the lead in speaking, they figured he was Hermes, the spokesman for the Greek gods. Barnabas, they figured, must be Zeus, the chief over all the gods.
Imagine their surprise when Paul and Barnabas exclaimed that they were only “men with the same nature as you” (v. 15). They challenged the Lystrans to turn from useless, dead, material gods to the one true God who lives, created all things, and is active in His world. What a shock! How do you suppose the priest of Zeus liked it when he heard his god being called “useless”?
Some took the message to heart, for we read of “disciples” in Lystra (v. 20). But others, within a short time, went from being ready to sacrifice to Paul as a god to taking him outside the city and stoning him! (v. 19)
Truth is still shocking. As at Lystra, people today believe bizarre things because they have been taught such ideas all their lives. We have not only the right but the responsibility to plead with them to turn from falsehood to truth, from darkness to light. Some will accept the good news with gratitude and relief. Others may react with varying degrees of hostility. We cannot control how other people respond. We can and must make certain they hear the truth.
–Joe Slater
