Wednesday, January 26: Acts 25- Do you have a spine?

Reading, rereading, reflecting and pondering this chapter… a question fills my thoughts. Do you have a spine? The question tumbles round and round. Do you have a spine? Are you merely a pawn for others or do you have personal character and conviction.

Festus comes across as a spineless politician… currying favor with powerful constituents instead of governing and deciding based on personal conviction and truth.

The text notes that the Jews ask a ‘favor’ of Festus to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, which as the account unfolds he was clearly seeking to do. I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges (20). Clearly he sees no basis to send Paul to the Emperor (25-26), yet he does.

The entire account screams of petty politics… Festus currying favor with the Jews.

My initial questions bubbles to the surface again, this time not so much as an indictment of Festus, but a probe of my heart. “Do I have a spine? Do I curry favor or ‘keep the peace’ with others at the expense of sharing my faith in Jesus with them?

Ouch, tough questions…

Lord, help me … help me grow to be the faith-filled man you desire me to be. Amen.