TURNING THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN
Acts 17: 1-9
The Uproar in Thessalonica
17 After Paul and Silas had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days argued with them from the scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and to rise from the dead and saying, “This is the Messiah, Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you.” 4 Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. 5 But the Jews became jealous, and with the help of some ruffians in the marketplaces they formed a mob and set the city in an uproar. While they were searching for Paul and Silas to bring them out to the assembly, they attacked Jason’s house. 6 When they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some brothers and sisters before the city authorities, shouting, “These people who have been turning the world upside down have come here also, 7 and Jason has entertained them as guests. They are all acting contrary to the decrees of the emperor, saying that there is another king named Jesus.” 8 The people and the city officials were disturbed when they heard this, 9 and after they had taken bail from Jason and the others, they let them go.
Historical Background
As last week’s passage suggested, Paul went to Jerusalem immediately after his conversion (34-36AD) where he met with Peter and James. In his brief stay, he stirred up sufficient turmoil with his preaching, there was a plot to kill him. He was smuggled out of Jerusalem. I can only imagine the zealous persecutor had the provocative zeal of a new convert. He had much to learn about the Christian faith. Paul then began what is called the “Silent Years” (lasting 12-14 years) before Barnabus sought him out in Tarsus and the two of them spent a year in Antioch. It is not until 47-48 AD that Paul begins his first missionary journey. Paul was beginning to be a force as Christian evangelist. ( I think it is very important to note that no matter how dramatic a conversion experience is, it takes time to learn and mature in faith.)
This journey culminated in the Council of Jerusalem (c. 49–50 AD), where it was decided that Gentile converts did not need to follow the full Mosaic Law. This council was a critical turning point in early Christian history. The Good News was formally opened to the Gentile community.
Thessalonica
This brings us to Paul’s second missionary journey (c. 50-52). Paul chose to begin this journey in Thessalonica—which brings us to our text for this week. Paul spent three Sabbaths arguing his case in the synagogue. He was effective. Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.” This is very important—both for the Good News and also to understand how this teaching was so threatening.
The devout Greeks and the leading women would share a second class status in a Jewish Synagogue of the time. Even if they were pious and observant, devout Greeks and especially women would be tolerated more than accepted. Authority rested with the Jewish men. Others need not apply. This characterization is a caricature but it does reflect the social order of the day. (In fact the early Christian church was considered licentious because it included women.)
I don’t believe any human being wants to be ignored or stereotyped as unworthy. It is good news indeed, to be told God’s love extends to all people. The stratification of people is a man-made human construction that Jesus explicitly challenged and which Paul fervently preached. Allowing outsiders, the disenfranchised, to belong quite literally turns the world upside down. It is the very heart of Jesus’ teaching: “The first shall be last and the last shall be first.” This is good news for the ‘outsiders’ but it is terrible to those accustomed to being first.
As long as humans have existed, we have created lines between people. Biologically such lines are a natural consequence of ‘Survival of the Fittest.’ Some belong and others are outside. Not surprisingly, the people on the inside, the people at the top of the secular food chain want to keep it that way. That is what happened in Thessalonica. The exclusion policy was in full force. “But the Jews became jealous, and with the help of some ruffians in the marketplaces they formed a mob and set the city in an uproar.”
Please note we have seemingly unlikely allies creating this mob. “Ruffians” would also be outsiders in the social system. Why would they join the very people that would usually be looking down upon them? I believe, then as now, disenfranchised people are both hungry for inclusion and deeply angry at the stereotypes that demean and dismiss them. The secular way of handling this dismissal is to find someone else who is “less than you.” When the Jewish authorities enlisted ‘ruffians’, they capitalized on the discontent. The authorities provided scapegoats and sanctioned violence as a legitimate tool to keep the world in order. The ruffians would always be second class citizens but at least they would be better than the third and fourth class citizens. The authorities and the ruffians were bound together to maintain a secular order in which each had a place and each remained “better than’ someone else. History, and Christian History is filled with such examples—Holy Wars have been justified, slavery has been sanctioned and genocide has been permitted—all in the name of the Lord.
But Jesus and later Paul preaching Jesus, turned the world upside down. Instead of recreating a secular pecking order, Paul preached that all people belonged and all people were children of God. The very idea of human comparisons and stratification was challenged by the Gospel of inclusion. The Christian way is to stand for what we believe rather than attack what we disagree with. That is a very big difference! The huge temptation is to create ‘good’ and ‘bad’ categories—-good Christians and bad Christians.
We must look for what connects us rather than what separates us. That is an earth shaking way to live. It got Jesus killed. It led to Jason’s arrest on trumped up charges and forced Paul to flee. Standing for the principle that we are all children of God is the antidote to our human history of polarization and violence.
Loving in the face of the tactics of oppression is a very tall order. Yet that is what Jesus did and why Paul preached Christ crucified. Jesus stood for love—no matter what happened to him. He never started an army. He never used violence. He loved those who would persecute him. He washed the feet of the man who was to betray him. We can choose love over retaliation because Jesus died and Jesus lives. In real life, we will be flawed and painfully inadequate disciples but it is the direction of life that counts. We can only do what we can do.
We need the Good News. The world needs the Good News. It is the way to life. Let it be so.
