A Great Disturbance

A GREAT DISTURBANCE

a prayer to open

Holy Spirit, come. Center my heart.

Fill my mind. Guide my steps.

Afterward Paul felt compelled by the Spirit to go over to Macedonia and Achaia before going to Jerusalem. “And after that,” he said, “I must go on to Rome!” He sent his two assistants, Timothy and Erastus, ahead to Macedonia. . . .

About that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way. It began with Demetrius, a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis. He kept many craftsmen busy. He called them together, along with others employed in similar trades, and addressed them as follows:

“Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business. But as you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all. And he’s done this not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province! Of course, I’m not just talking about the loss of public respect for our business. I’m also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence and that Artemis . . . will be robbed of her great prestige!”

At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” Soon the whole city was filled with confusion. Everyone rushed to the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia. Paul wanted to go in, too, but the believers wouldn’t let him. Some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, also sent a message to him, begging him not to risk his life by entering the amphitheater.

Inside, the people were all shouting, some one thing and some another. Everything was in confusion. In fact, most of them didn’t even know why they were there. The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward and told him to explain the situation. He motioned for silence and tried to speak. But when the crowd realized he was a Jew, they started shouting again and kept it up for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

At last the mayor was able to quiet them down enough to speak. “Citizens of Ephesus,” he said. “Everyone knows that Ephesus is the official guardian of the temple of the great Artemis, whose image fell down to us from heaven. Since this is an undeniable fact, you should stay calm and not do anything rash. You have brought these men here, but they have stolen nothing from the temple and have not spoken against our goddess.

“If Demetrius and the craftsmen have a case against them, the courts are in session and the officials can hear the case at once. Let them make formal charges. And if there are complaints about other matters, they can be settled in a legal assembly. I am afraid we are in danger of being charged with rioting by the Roman government, since there is no cause for all this commotion. And if Rome demands an explanation, we won’t know what to say.” Then he dismissed them, and they dispersed.

It should come as no surprise that shortly after the word of the Lord “spread widely and grew in power” (verse 20, NIV), a riot broke out in Ephesus. After all, the word had started to disturb and threaten economic power and established religious structures. We too tend to react that way to hearing from God. Simply reading the Bible or praying is one thing, but once we hear him calling us out of old patterns of thought and behavior, something in us feels threatened and disturbed. We resist making actual changes in the way we spend our money, make decisions, and use our time.

• Read this passage again. What word or phrase stands out to you? Sit quietly, reminding yourself that you are in God’s loving presence, and ask him to show you how that word or phrase connects to your life.
• Reflect on the most significant change you have made based on a desire to align with God’s ways. What resistance did you experience as you sought to make that change?
• What are the one or two attitudes or behaviors God is working in you to change? What resistance are you experiencing? What can you draw on from your prior experiences to give you hope or courage to take the next step?

Father, thank you for all the ways you have transformed me, moving me from my old life into a new one. Thank you for the ways you continue to lead and move and stir my desire to be more like Christ. Please keep working in me; overcome my resistance. Give me the courage to take one step toward transformation today. Be gentle with me and surround me with friends who will encourage and inspire me to draw closer to you. Amen.