May 12, 2020
Acts 17:26-31 … “For ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’” vs. 28
Luke remembered that Paul’s debate with the Athenians on Mars Hill contained a couple of apt references to Greek poets, and that Paul seemed to share their perspectives on the Divine Presence. Paul taught, as did those ancient philosophers, that all people are the children of God, in Biblical terms he’s saying that we’re all born in the image and the likeness of God. Using a modern metaphor, we could say that we have a Divine genetic imprint, God’s DNA, flowing in our blood and finding a home in the cells of our heart. Paul goes on to say that because we are God’s offspring, much is expected, that it’s our calling to stop living like runaways, and turn our attention to being God’s hands and feet in the world. In a word, Paul says that all people should repent, (his message is exactly the same as that of Jesus) and start giving their lives to acts of service and love. Of course not many paid attention to Paul that day on the Areopagus, and his call to repentance fell on deaf ears. The Athenians enjoyed the speculation and philosophical conversation, but they quickly lost interest when Paul called on them to change. A lot of us are like that. It’s fun to debate and share ideas about God, but when it comes to following the Jesus Way, whole bunches of us prefer the cheap seats on the sidelines!
Thought for the Day: Why do folks enjoy speculating about God?
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