Shake It Off

Acts 18:5-6

When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was putting great energy into the task of bearing forthright witness to the Jews that the Messiah really was Jesus. 

When they opposed him, and blasphemed, he shook out his clothes. “Your blood be on your own heads!” he said. “I am innocent. From now on I shall go to the Gentiles.”

In Ezekiel, one who fails to warn people to repentance has blood on one’s head, that is, is morally responsible for the people’s judgement.

Paul had sufficiently declared to these Corinthians that Jesus was God’s anointed one to whom they must bow, and for whom they must turn away from their current practices. His conscience was clear, and he felt comfortable to move on.

Sometimes when faced with rejection, we are called to simply walk away because we have done our part, and they have refused to open themselves up in any way to the message of Jesus.

This takes courage, wisdom, and great charity to do so.

At times, we tend to feel we are to bear with someone and their excuses/rejection over and over. While this is possible of course, it is many times not likely our calling, but rather the enemy’s way of guilting us into a frivolous expenditure of time and energy that God would desire us to use toward someone else more receptive so much fruit can be borne.

Be careful. Be wise. Be discerning. Be prayerful through this.

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