Acts 17:13-15

When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. The men who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

 

When Luke wrote that the Jews in Berea were of more noble character than the Jews of Thessalonica, he wasn’t kidding! The Jews in Thessalonica weren’t content to expel Paul and Silas from their own territory. They couldn’t even stand for him to spread the good news anywhere nearby, and Berea was only about 20-30 miles away. That would have been a significant trip in Paul’s day. But the Thessalonian Jews came there and stirred up trouble for Paul anyway. The believers in Berea immediately had to send Paul to the coast and on from there to Athens, hundreds of miles away.

 

Father, some people are so opposed to You! They hate You, they hate Your message, and they hate Your messengers! They choose to be Your enemies. Father, turn people’s hearts away from such rebellion. Bless my extended family, my neighbors, my friends, my city, my state, and this whole world with hearts that receive Your words. Bless them so that they never have to face the kind of wrath that will come upon those who hate You and Your people. And when such hatred comes against us, please protect us and lead us into places where Your message will be heard. You are King. And You are good. Help us, Your servants, to proclaim Your reign fearlessly and boldly.