July 07, 2006
Mistaken Identity
On a recent tour in Washington, DC we dined formally at the National Republican Club of Capitol Hill. After the wonderful meal, our dessert had been served and coming up behind my chair the chef asked our table if everything was satisfactory. Much to my daughter’s horror, rather than getting the attention of our server, I turned and asked the chef if we could have some coffee. Snapping his fingers toward a server the coffee quickly appeared. Mistaken identity happens to the best of us and the Apostle Paul found himself in a similar situation when he popped off with, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!” Oops…Paul didn’t recognize it was the high priest he was talking to. In his self-correcting apology Paul quoted the scripture, “Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.” (Acts 23:1-5 NIV) Unlike Paul, I’m without excuse for not recognizing ‘the chef’. Who else would dress all in white and wear a tall hat. Ugh…I hate it when that happens.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Gail;
----I have to confess, somewhat, that I have always wondered about this passage. Paul's realization of who it was that he spoke to changed the propriety of what he said. We see this also in Jude, as he informs us of the respectful manner in which Michael contended with Satan over the body of Moses. So was the speaking evil Paul's statement about a white-washed tomb, or was it also that he honestly pointed out the hypocrisy of the event? I tend to believe that it was the white-washed tomb thing, because the rest of the statement was the revealing of a truth, and speaking the truth can not be speaking evil (unless it is untimely placed). Maybe this is why some of my boldness has the contemporary leaders casting me with the scoundrels.
Post a Comment