December 15, 2011 - Acts 21:30

“The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple and immediately the gates were shut.” Acts 21:30
On the last day of the purification rite, Paul was recognized by some of the Jews that had misrepresented him to the Jewish leadership. Word spread quickly around Jerusalem that Paul, the ex-Pharisee-turned-follower-of-Jesus, was in the city and was to be captured and taken before their leaders. Paul’s reputation had been well known, as he was an up-and-coming Pharisee and the son of a Pharisee. It was also well known that Paul had turned away from being a Pharisee in order to follow Jesus, the itinerant preacher that had been crucified in the city. Now, Paul was here in Jerusalem, and many of the people rushed to see this man with such a reputation.
It is interesting the reputations that we have. Each of us is thought of in many different ways by different crowds. For instance, in some crowds, I am considered rather handsome, and in others, not so much! For some of us these reputations may be positive or negative. Sometimes, we have both. We also attribute people with reputations. We have our opinions of some people, regardless of how well we actually know them. Just driving home today, I spoke badly about someone’s reputation as a driver, since he wouldn’t move out of the fast lane! As absurd as this may be, most of us do this sort of thing. Paul, too, was confronted with a bad reputation and faced the Jewish authorities in order to defend it. Sometimes, though, our reputations are indefensible.
Questions to consider: What kind of reputation do you have? What would you like for it to be? Do others around you have reputations? How does someone’s reputation affect the way that you treat them?
Prayer: Father, help me to be the kind of person who does not confine someone to their past reputation but is willing to extend grace, just as You extended grace to me. Amen.