SCRIPTURE: Acts 15:36-16:5
OBSERVATION:
John had abandoned them earlier (Acts 13:13), but now wants to join them again. Barnabas wants to show him grace for his failure, but Paul is not yet ready to welcome him back.
This results in a major disagreement and separation, and raises the question of why Paul was being so hard-headed?
Or maybe its not that Paul wasn’t being gracious, but didn’t feel that John was ready, that he still had to deal with some of his issues before he could join the team. Maybe, like a team, its critical that the players can count on each member, and quitting in the middle of an important game is a serious issue.
Fortunately we know that Paul and John Mark were eventually reconciled (Colossians 4:10, Philemon 24, 2 Timothy 4:11).
Here Paul has Timothy circumcised, which seems to be at odds with his views of not having Gentiles follow Jewish customs (see Galatians 2:3-5, 11-14).
Both of these episodes show that Paul was human, and that he did not perfectly live out the grace he preached… he too was learning!
APPLICATION:
I am comforted by the fact that Paul himself could be hard-headed. Also by the fact that God is able to work out reconciliation in the long run, even after sharp disagreements… so long as we remain open.
Are there times when it is necessary to surrender our freedoms for the sake of the body, for the sake of the message, for the sake of the mission? Timothy was circumcised likely to prevent a violent response from the Jews, to keep the focus on reaching Gentiles for the Lord.
I too am learning, I also have inconsistencies and moments of hard-headedness. I also need grace, and to show grace to those who are weaker (like John). Am I too hard on people in the church who let me down?
PRAYER:
Lord, forgive me for being hard-headed and inconsistent. Open my eyes to see where I am, and help me to be open to change. Amen.