After Paul and Silas* had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three sabbath days argued with them from the scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Messiah* to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, ‘This is the Messiah,* Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you.’ Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. But the Jews became jealous, and with the help of some ruffians in the market-places they formed a mob and set the city in an uproar. While they were searching for Paul and Silas to bring them out to the assembly, they attacked Jason’s house. When they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some believers* before the city authorities,* shouting, ‘These people who have been turning the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has entertained them as guests. They are all acting contrary to the decrees of the emperor, saying that there is another king named Jesus.’ The people and the city officials were disturbed when they heard this, and after they had taken bail from Jason and the others, they let them go. That very night the believers* sent Paul and Silas off to Beroea; and when they arrived, they went to the Jewish synagogue. These Jews were more receptive than those in Thessalonica, for they welcomed the message very eagerly and examined the scriptures every day to see whether these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, including not a few Greek women and men of high standing. But when the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Beroea as well, they came there too, to stir up and incite the crowds. Then the believers* immediately sent Paul away to the coast, but Silas and Timothy remained behind. Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and after receiving instructions to have Silas and Timothy join him as soon as possible, they left him.
"These men, who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them; and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another King, Jesus."
Wow. The first Christians were turning the world upside down with their message about Jesus. It was a message that the one God, the creator of heaven and earth, had sent a Son of man to become King and to usher in a new age of peace and compassionate justice for all people. This King lived among them as a humble servant; he gathered a following, taught disciples, healed the sick, fed the hungry, raised the dead, and challenged the religions and cultures of exclusion that denied people access to the means of grace. This King Jesus was crucified by the Romans. His followers believed that he had been raised from the dead and that his resurrection was vindication for his execution and validation of his divine authority and Kingship. A power swept through the community of his followers that propelled them to act. They took action in the streets throughout the Roman Empire.
When we read this part of the Book of Acts, we can notice a few things.
1. First, the church was a movement that included men and women, Jews and Greeks. It was like a tornado when it hit. People's lives were changed, their perspective changed, their hopes changed when they met Jesus' followers. Their way of life together was infectious. They began to see themselves as part of a bigger conspiracy to remake the world as God intended. God's intentions were revealed to the Jews in the law and prophets; but now God's intentions had been revealed to everyone in person, in Jesus. To summarize God's intentions, Jesus says we are made to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. We are made to love one another. Those who are the most vulnerable and victimized are of particular concern to God. Dorothy Day says our love for God is demonstrated in the way we love the person we love the least. Jesus challenges us to love our enemies and those who hate us. In so doing, we reflect the image of God. And when we fail to do so, God forgives us, suffers with those who suffer, and promises restoration and new life where there is sin (the opposite of love) and death (the opposite of life). Jesus' death and resurrection teaches us that God's love for humanity is stronger than the worst thing we could ever do. It's stronger than our deadliest acts. God will do whatever it takes to reclaim all of humanity as sons and daughters.
2. The church is not confined to one location. It travels. The church's work is public and urban. Population centers are the soil of the movement. This is not a stagnant church. It is not constrained by buildings or budgets. They are not afraid to tell the story, to invite others into the story, and to share the gifts they have to offer. They are not afraid to face doubt, skepticism, or rejection. They are aware that their message has political implications, when it is misunderstood. King Jesus' allies are not interested in executing a military coup. They are not interested in a holy war. They are interested in acts of mercy for everyone, everywhere. They want to share the story of Jesus, inspire life change, establish a community of practicing believers, and move on to the next community.
3. There are people of peace in every community, ready to receive the church's message and embrace it. In this story, it's Jason. Little else is known or said about him. But we know a church was started in Thessalonica, maybe in Jason's house.
4. The leaders of the church were sent by and for the church as representatives of King Jesus. They worked collaboratively. There was a team approach. And they intended to raise up local leaders who could continue practicing ministry after the team moved on. They started in synagogues, where they may find natural friends and people of peace. After all, the gospel is set within the Jewish story. But they didn't stop there. They also included non-Jews, the ones we might call "the Nones." And the message catches the, too. Why? Because people are spiritual. We are theologians. We long for something and someone beyond our humanity that gives meaning to life. We are curious creatures.
5. The church turns the world upside down. We worship a crucified 1st century Jewish Rabbi and call him LORD. Our highest holy day celebrates His resurrection from the dead--an astonishing claim, unprecedented, unreasonable, and implausible. We live to serve as he taught by loving the unloved. So we stand with criminals on death row and beg for their lives. We spend time with people who have recently been released from prison. We feed hungry people. We take in refugees and those displaced without a home. We break bread with addicts and offenders. We care for widows and orphans. We plant gardens and share the harvest. We rebuild homes and lives after disasters. The church's acts are demonstrative and point to King Jesus.
So, to whom does God send us? How does the church reclaim its energy as a movement? In what ways are we called to turn the world upside down?
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