8 In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth
and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking.
Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10 and called
out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to
walk. 11 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian
language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” 12 Barnabas they
called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker.
13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls
and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices
to them. 14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they
tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15 “Men, why are
you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing
you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living
God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. 16 In the
past, he let all nations go their own way. 17 Yet he has not left himself
without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and
crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts
with joy.” 18 Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd
from sacrificing to them.
- Acts 14:8-18, The New International Version, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan
Publishing House) 1984.
In the name of Christ Jesus, dear friends:
"God has come down to us in human form." This is a thought that has probably entered the minds of many different biblical figures. A group of shepherds could not keep this information to themselves when angels told them about the world-changing event that had just taken place in a stable in Bethlehem (Luke 2). The Wise Men probably carried a similar message back to their homeland after they left their gifts where the star had led them (Matthew 2).
Mary and Joseph knew it to be true from their personal experience, as they raised a child who was perfect in every way. This fact became obvious to the disciples who saw water turned into wine, storms stilled and countless people healed of sickness and disease. And can there be a more powerful witness than Lazarus, who on command walked out of his tomb alive after four days in the grave (John 11)?
We don’t fit into the same category, at least not exactly. We haven’t seen God face to face. We were not alive when Jesus walked on this earth. We were not eyewitnesses of his miracles. But we can speak with the same confidence. God’s inspired Word convinces us that these events really happened. God’s Word tells us that God was and is still directly involved in the lives of his people. And so with the shepherds and the Wise Men and Mary and Joseph and the disciples and many other witnesses, we too can testify that...
GOD HAS COME DOWN TO US IN HUMAN FORM
This simple message was the same message that two missionaries, Paul and Barnabas, carried with them to the city of Lystra. Based on our text this morning from the book of Acts, we will see that...
I. A lame man believed this message
II. The crowds confused this message
III. Paul and Barnabas proclaimed this message
Paul and Barnabas didn’t exactly arrive at Lystra by accident, but the way they came to the city was probably not part of their original itinerary either. The Holy Spirit had set apart these two men to reach out to the Gentiles with the gospel. So they embarked on what we now call Paul’s first missionary journey. Their travels took them into the province of Galatia (modern day Turkey), and as a result of their preaching and teaching, many people believed.
The problem was that many others rejected the message. In Antioch, Paul and Barnabas were expelled from the city, so they shook the dust off their feet and moved on to Iconium. Again, some believed. Others did not. But here the attacks became personal. The leaders of the city went beyond harsh words. They hatched a plot to stone them. When Paul and Barnabas learned that their lives were in danger, they fled to Lystra.
What is amazing is that this intense opposition did not discourage the missionaries at all. They did not give up. They were not intimidated. They "continued to preach the good news" (Acts 14:7). Circumstances dictated a change in plans, but it was not a setback. Instead, God used these troubles as an opportunity to spread his Word in new places.
"In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked" (8). When Paul and Barnabas came to Lystra, it is likely that they went where the people were, the marketplace. And it would not have been unusual to find a lame man in the area begging for money from those who passed by.
We are not told in so many words, but we can infer that this man’s life had not been easy. He had never taken a step. That meant he had to depend on others for everything. The message of these newcomers must have caught his attention because we are told that he was listening to what Paul was saying. Little did he know that God was about to change his life forever.
"Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed..." (9). The Holy Spirit was doing his work. The Word Paul preached produced results. Paul could see that this man who had been lame from birth had faith. This was nothing less than a miracle.
This first miracle was followed by another. Paul "called out, ‘Stand up on your feet!’ At that, the man jumped up and began to walk" (10). This healing was not a process. It did not take a few minutes to take effect. Paul’s words produced immediate results. The man who had never walked immediately sprang to his feet and began to move around.
Can you remember your first steps? It is a very important day when a child takes that first step, both in the child’s life and in the life the parents. Some parents are fortunate enough to see it happen. Some are even lucky enough to catch the moment on tape. But there is no way that we can appreciate that event the way the lame man did. That day was the best day of the lame man’s entire life, but not necessarily because he could walk.
As if a miraculous healing was not enough, that was also the day when he was introduced to his Savior. Paul shared with him the good news about Jesus, how Jesus was true God, how God became a man to save us from our sins, how Jesus died on the cross to rescue us, how Jesus rose victorious over death on Easter morning. The lame man believed the message, and the Lord showered him with spiritual and physical blessings.
None of us can remember when we took our first steps. And few, if any of us, can remember the day we took our first spiritual steps either. For most of us, God created faith in our hearts when we were little babies. Even though we can’t remember our conversion the way the lame man did, what God has done in our lives is no less miraculous. The Holy Spirit has given us faith to believe. He has brought us from death to life.
Unfortunately, what was true for the lame man and what is true for us is not true for everyone. The crowds that witnessed Paul’s miraculous healing in Lystra did not believe. They confused the message.
God performed two miracles through Paul, but the crowds could only see one of them. Based on what they saw, they came to the wrong conclusion. The once crippled man who now stood before them was proof that there was something special about Paul and Barnabas. But instead of listening carefully to their message, they chose to worship the messengers.
"When the crowd 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" (11, 12). These superstitious people believed that the gods of Greek mythology had descended from above. They reasoned that only the gods could heal people. Therefore, these men must be gods. Barnabas they called Zeus, the head of the gods. And Paul they labeled Hermes because he did most of the talking.
"The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them" (13). For some reason, the gods had chosen to come down to Lystra. The people didn’t know why, but they did know that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. And they wanted to make the most of it. They prepared to worship these gods the only way they knew how.
In analyzing this account, the sin of the people of Lystra is obvious. They were guilty of open idolatry. In the first commandment, God declares: "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3). But the crowd had little regard for God’s law and little understanding of who the true God is.
We who are gathered here today do not have to worry about the sin of idolatry, at least not open idolatry. We don’t bow down to wood and stone. But when God looks at our lives under the microscope of his law, what does he see? Is the first commandment perfectly in tact? Or is it broken to bits?
It is possible to make a case for the people of Lystra. They were isolated. They were superstitious. When they heard the gospel from Paul’s mouth, they were probably hearing about Jesus for the first time. They had seen a miracle. They were confused. Based on their very limited knowledge, they were only trying to come up with some kind of explanation.
What is our excuse? We know the truth. We know who Jesus is. We know what Jesus has done. We have places where we worship. We have Bibles in our homes. Still, we confuse the message of Jesus. We put people before God. We put possessions above God. We put personal pleasure in the place of God. Our idolatry may not be out in the open, but it is just as real and just as damning. And there is no excuse.
Paul and Barnabas did everything in their power to set the record straight with the people of Lystra. And thankfully, our God shows the same kind of love and patience with us. Paul and Barnabas were not gods, but the people of Lystra were not totally wrong either. God had indeed come down to earth in human form. It was the task of the two missionaries to proclaim that message.
When Paul and Barnabas saw what was happening, they had three choices: do nothing, leave town, or try to stop the crowds. The first option was not an option because they could not let themselves become objects of worship. The second option, however, might have been appealing. Why risk personal harm, especially after such a close call in Iconium? How could two men stop such a large crowd anyway? Why not get out while the getting was good?
Why not? Because that would have\ gone against everything they wanted to accomplish. Paul and Barnabas were missionaries called by God and sent out by God. They did not see the crowds of people as a danger to be avoided, but as a great number of souls to be saved.
So they did the only thing they could do. They tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd and shouted: "Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them" (15).
Paul knew that the gods of the Greeks were worthless. Paul knew that these people were doomed if they did not turn to the true God, the living God who creates and preserves all things. With no regard for their personal safety, Paul and Barnabas boldly proclaimed the message of Jesus.
How did God reward them for their efforts? Some people came from Antioch and Iconium and won over the people. They took Paul outside the city, stoned him and left him for dead. The fact that an angry mob tried to kill Paul is not a huge surprise. What is amazing is Paul’s attitude.
Later Paul would write to the Christians at Rome, perhaps thinking of this very experience: "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope" (Romans 5:3,4). As always, God was in control. He saved Paul’s life. He used this experience to make Paul stronger. And in spite of all the bad things that had happened, God planted a church in Lystra.
Now ask yourself: What if Paul had played it safe and left town? Or what if Paul had packed up and went home? Then it would be very likely that he would have never come to know a young man from Lystra, a man who later became a close friend of Paul, a man who eventually became a co-worker with Paul, a young man by the name of Timothy. And if Paul had not reached out to Timothy, then his successor Timothy would not have reached out to others, and only God knows how many people would have never heard the good news and believed.
I am Paul. You are Paul. We are all Paul. God enlists all of us to proclaim the message of Jesus. Sometimes God may call us to suffer for his name, but no matter what happens God promises that he will bless our efforts. And God has given us the most amazing news to share. As we proclaim the message, only God knows how many people will hear the good news and believe.
This is the message we have to proclaim. God himself has come down to us in human form. God became a man to save us. Jesus died on the cross to free us. And with ascension only four days away, we are reminded that Jesus has returned to heaven to prepare a place for us. Amen.