19:23 And about that
time there arose a great commotion about the Way. 24 For a certain man named
Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small
profit to the craftsmen. 25 He called them together with the workers of similar
occupation, and said: “Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade.
26 Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost
all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they
are not gods which are made with hands. 27 So not only is this trade of ours in
danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess
Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the
world worship.”

Religion seeks a kingdom. Love seeks the King.
So into this well established and widely believed mythology
steps Paul. He speaks of a living God who sent His Son to die for us. He spoke
of a God who made the sacrifice rather than demanding sacrifices. He spoke of
an entirely different relationship between God and humanity. His teaching
combined with the undeniable miracles that thwarted and superceded the dark
magic of Ephesus grabbed the attention and the hearts of many.
Then came trouble. Whenever you trace trouble you usually
find $$$ at the root and this case was no exception. When people became
followers of Jesus and realized idolatry was a man made scam they didn't need
or want idols any more. This created an economic problem for the silversmiths
and craftsmen who made the idols. The revolt was on and once again Paul and
faith in Christ were public enemy number one.
The lesson for us? We live in a world where the value system
is opposed to faith in Christ and the more closely we follow Him the more
resistance we will face. It may cost us a job, friendships, family, etc... It
may turn our entire world upside down. Myths come and go, jobs come and go,
even people we care about come and go but Jesus remains. We'll explore the rest
of this story tomorrow.
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