Affirming Accusations

My reading this morning is in Acts 5 and it's the story of when Peter and the apostles are arrested by the temple authorities for teaching in the temple with signs and wonders such as healing a man crippled for forty years.  As usual, the Jewish religious leaders  are upset by all the disturbances to life as normal.  They push back by using their authority and arresting Peter and the apostles for a second time after threatening them, "commanding them" not to keep teaching the people about Jesus of Nazareth.  I think they felt threatened, disrespected and discredited. 

They have an even bigger problem when they find out that the men they have imprisoned have somehow disappeared out of the jail and are now back teaching in the temple.  They ask them to appear at the council that has met to judge them "without violence" and this is their accusation:

Q: "Did we not strictly command you that you should not teach in this name?"  And behold you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us."

A: "We ought to obey God rather than men." said Peter.

I had to laugh!  
1. They don't name the name!  ( the elephant in the room!)
2. They affirm in their accusation that the apostles are accomplishing exactly what they have been sent by the Holy Spirit to do.
3. They reveal their main threat which is to have "this man's" blood  be upon them. 

Excuse me!  Weren't they the ones standing in the crowds when Pilate was trying to free Jesus? "When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. Mat 27:24 & 25

If you listen for the right things you can always take comfort that affirmations sometimes come in accusations and contain truth.  Quick story from my own experience. I was once accused: "How come you hate men!" My first reaction was to deny it, but I found myself saying, "Because they've never been there for me when I needed them the most."  That was the truth going back to being left in boarding school by my Dad... and that's another story.  There was truth in that accusation. My response opened the door for me to deal with my past instead of denying it just to appear good and Godly! 

In my opinion IF the leaders in the First Century has understood the power of repentance and humility, and knew the prophesies in their own Scriptures, they would have embraced Yeshua, their savior and been the real apostles, raised up to work with the "New World Order!" of Christianity, instead of fighting it... which as we can see, just fanned the flames that spread it!

MY MO = My Opinion!