Pushback

10.21.14

Acts 13.50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. Luke’s Narrative (ESV)

In life there is such a thing as pushback. We might call it friction; we might call it resistance, but in life there is pushback: not everyone is easily persuaded. The greatest pushback on earth in all its history is mankind’s pushback against God’s offer of love and fellowship.

Paul and Barnabas were sent out on their original journey by the Holy Spirit – see Acts 13.1 This is the first time anyone went out on a mission’s trip to share the good news with the unchurched. And the first stop was in Cyprus where immediately the missionaries ran into a magician (a sorcerer) named Elymas. Pushback.

Elymas had the ear of the governor of Cyprus and when he pushed back against the Gospel, Paul pushed back against him: “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” (Acts 13.10-11) And off to Pisidian Antioch the missionaries went.

In Antioch of Pisidia it’s recorded: But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. Pushback. So Paul and Barnabas left there shaking the dust off their feet as a testimony against them. Not anger, not throwing rocks – just leaving the dust behind.

It wasn’t just sour grapes; it was: some will, some won’t, who’s next, and off they went to Iconium. In Iconium the pushback took a strange turn: the Iconians thought Paul and Barnabas were gods: Zeus and Hermes. And when Paul and Barnabas tried to push back the pushback, Paul was stoned and left for dead. Remarkably he survived but the temperature definitely had risen.

Pushback is normal. Really. The enemy of our souls wants nothing to do with God’s offer, and his idea of winning is to watch God leave humiliated and empty-handed. And he wants us to leave empty- handed as well. No catch, no meal. But those who push back against the pushback are the ones the Lord seeks. It’s meeting objections and overcoming by pushing back against the pushback.

And pushback strengthens resolve, belief, determination and a whole host of other things that build our character and cement our devotion to God. It’s easy to get cynical; but it’s noble to deal with pushback and grow past it…

Father, You Yourself have been dealing with pushback for centuries – since the beginning of time. But You are not daunted and You call the dauntless to come alongside You and go where You send, and say what You say. My cry today is, use me. Help me to be one who pushes back against the pushback and I leave the results up to You. Some did; some didn’t: keep going! Amen.