In Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet and had never walked, for he had been crippled from birth. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. And Paul, looking at him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said in a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet." And the man sprang up and began to walk. When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!" Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates; he and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifice. When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, "Friends, why are you doing this? We are mortals just like you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. In past generations he allowed all the nations to follow their own ways; yet he has not left himself without a witness in doing good - giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filling you with food and your hearts with joy." Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.
Mortals Like You
It seems as though, every-so-often, Christianity gets rocked by new scandal involving one it’s spokesman. And even though the name and the circumstance changes, the basic story doesn’t. It always involves hubris, excessive pride and confidence. You see, in each case, an acknowledged leader within the faith seems to assume that he’s become better than the common folk; therefore, basic standards of conduct no longer apply to him. In fact, he’s no longer bound to the example and teachings of Jesus Christ. Of course, the reason for this assumption can only be found within the person himself. I mean, it may be the result of fame and adoration or it may be grounded in some inner assumption of spiritual superiority that brings with it a special indulgence. But the reason may not be as important as the result, because when a Christian elevates himself above his brothers and sisters, hypocrisy, blasphemy and eventually scandal nearly always follows.
And I think that’s why a passage like the one we just read should be important for every believer, particularly for those who lead. I mean, just like Paul, we shouldn’t allow praise or popularity to distract us from the one we follow or the message we’ve been called to share. You see, even though acclaim may be heady experience, we shouldn’t assume that we’re more spiritual or special than we actually are. In other words, before hubris clouds our vision, we need to intentionally remind ourselves that we are indeed mortals like everyone else.
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