Like a Plague

"For we have found this man a plague..." Acts 24:5a

There are innumerable insults out there and many of them are words not originally intended to be used as derogatory comments. I think the Jews using the word plague to describe Paul is one of the more interesting ways to describe a Christian. A plague is a horrible thing, it brings death. The definition should mean that such an insult should appall believers. Personally, I see it as an encouragement. Think about it for a moment. When Paul is called a plague he's being told that he's done something that has upset those around him. He's telling these people about God and they don't want to hear it, and he's relentless in that pursuit of making sure they hear it. He doesn't stop.

  They've whipped him. They've beaten him. They've stoned him. He's suffered taking the gospel to these people but he doesn't let that stop him. So as he's taken in front of Felix to be charged they insult him the best way they know how, by calling him a deadly virus that bring destruction wherever it is present. Why is that encouraging? A plague spreads rapidly. One infected person can decimate an entire town in no time at all. When the Jews called Paul a plague they were saying he was an infected individual and they didn't want that to spread anymore. They didn't want to hear what he was saying and didn't want others to hear it either.

Paul was bringing hope that was turning the world upside down. Where he went people were coming to Christ and that just wouldn't do. That's the thing about a plague, when you are infected you can't really hide that fact. It produces symptoms and they are often nasty physical symptoms. Followers of Christ should be the same way. We should live in such a way that people look at us and see Christ. There should be no hiding that we have been changed. When that happens, like Paul, our faith should be so evident to everyone around us that we stop at nothing to share the hope we have.

  The disciples counted it all joy to be beaten for sharing their faith in Christ. Paul clearly had no qualms about suffering for the cause of Christ. When all is said and done being compared to a bacteria isn't such a bad thing. You can't quiet a plague, it is visible, and it spreads like wildfire. Our faith should be like that, visible and contagious to the people we come in contact with, like spreading a virus but instead of bringing destruction we bring hope.