Observation: On Mars Hill in Athens, Paul declares a truth that is completely opposed to ... every teaching and every action of his former life.
As a Jewish Pharisee, Paul had dedicated his life to knowing everything about God's laws, obeying those laws, and judging everyone else based on just this criteria ... their compliance with those laws through their actions. Many of those laws orbited around temple practices, a place constructed as a special building dedicated to the Lord, and where he originally lived among the people, or at the very least his footstool on earth. As his vocation, Paul is in fact a tentmaker, a profession made important by the feast of tabernacles, a festival with the temple in Jerusalem at its center.
In other words, as a Jewish Pharisee, Paul believed the Lord lived in a shrine made by hands, and was served by human hands through compliant deeds and rituals. Yes, these elements took different forms than what the Greeks are doing with their false gods and idols around the city, but there is a similar spirit ... the Lord expected to be honored by the acts of the people, and especially in his special man-made place. Paul now knows better.
And to be clear, God never intended this either. He provided the Jews with instructions and even physical locations as a way of assisting them in their worship, and ensuring their quality of life. Mankind turned those into rituals and acts of false hope placed in earthly things. Paul now knows and proclaims that Jesus - the availability of salvation through faith in the Messiah - has restored the availability of a proper relationship with Yahweh.
Application: As I get older, I wonder about ... when will I actually get wiser? I feel like I continue to fail in the understanding of the Lord, and in maturing my relationship with him. I see Paul as an example of someone who not only understood the Lord, but did so in a manner that completely transformed his every belief, knowledge, and understanding he ever had about life.
My only encouragement is that this Paul we see in Athens is a couple decades into his journey with the Lord. However, so am I, and I still cannot understand all I should.
Prayer: Lord, again today I pause and consider how my past life and all the learnings in it create a barrier to my future life, and I am sad because I know I have less and less of that future life in order to figure this out. I cannot get to where I should be on my own. May I do better at seeking your assistance in everything, every act, every thought, every word, every minute of every day. Amen.
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