“And Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess allegiance to another king, named Jesus.”
Acts 17:7 (NLT)
Paul and his team came into Thessalonica and reasoned from the Scriptures for three Sabbaths, proving the Old Testament pointed to the Messiah and that Jesus’ life proved He was the Messiah. Some believed and joined them, but others were jealous and chose to oppose what God was doing. When Jesus starts changing people, it disrupts a way of life that depends on control.
Those jealous leaders started a mob, and it wasn’t just about Paul and Silas. They knew Jason was hospitable and there was probably a house church around his table. So they dragged Jason and other believers into persecution when they couldn’t find Paul and Silas. And the table isn’t just hospitality. It is love, encouragement, and a place of discipling that draws people to be more and more like King Jesus.
Following Jesus has a way of putting us in the middle of resistance because he transforms us. What made them “guilty” was that they professed allegiance to another King besides Caesar. They were aligned with King Jesus. They professed faith in Him. They lived lives of service to King Jesus, not King Caesar. Their first authority, ruler, and leader is Jesus, not something in the world, and that’s exactly what the world cannot tolerate.
I love how the accusation of the crowd is what we should celebrate in the church. There’s nothing preventing anyone from coming to that same table besides unbelief. The jealous ones are standing in their own way. So I’m praying we aren’t jealous of what God is doing in someone else’s life, in another church, or a different family. I’m praying we would profess allegiance to King Jesus, welcome others in, and be transformed. If I need to be, I pray I’m guilty of treason today, because there’s only one name by which we can be saved: Jesus Christ. And I’m praying we have a reputation like Paul and Silas. Let’s cause trouble all over the world by bringing the Kingdom of Heaven on earth and helping people believe in King Jesus.