Is the public pampered or hampered?
Scripture reading: Acts of Apostles 19:23-41. Text: “When they (the people in Ephesus) heard this (the silversmith Demetrius’ accusation), they were furious and began shouting: ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’ Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, and rushed as one man into the theater. Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him.” Acts of Apostles 19:28-30.
What was is the background of this incident? Apostle Paul and his companions preached the Gospel in Ephesus with some success, see Acts of Apostles 19:18. Ephesus was the center of worship for Artemis,+ a goddess of the Ephesians, and Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen made small silver shrines as memorabilia honoring Artemis. These craftsmen were afraid that they would lose their business if people began to follow the way of the Lord; the worship of Artemis would decline. Please read Acts of Apostles 19:23-27. These tradesmen and others became upset and turned against those who were preaching the Gospel. They saw the Christians as competitors. Please see our text. In the end, the city clerk quieted the upset crowd and the rioting people were dismissed.
DOES THIS EPISODE HAVE ANY MESSAGE FOR US IN OUR PRESENT PREDICAMENT?
The first question is, can we draw parallels between the riot in Ephesus and our present disturbances like the Arab Spring or the Occupy the Wall Street movement or the gatherings where political campaign speeches are heard by many?
I am sure some will say it is a great mistake to apply an old biblical story to our present circumstances; and they will say there are hardly any similarities between the old and the present unrest of the people. On the other hand, avoiding all the pitfalls of our daily controversial politics and social unrest, there are some basic concepts that we could find not only acceptable but also useful for our spiritual life.
Many individuals behave differently when they are alone than when they are in a crowd. The crowd has its own characteristics. The atmosphere at times may be unhappy or disappointed, and often there is at least one person wiling to be an agitator to stir up the people. If only half of the truth is emphatically repeated time and again and the danger is overemphasized as well as the solution oversimplified and there is a scapegoat, it is not so hard to create uproar. The crowd often prefers a quick fix to remaining patient, evaluating the various options and making sacrifices for a better future. This does not mean that the crowd is always wrong, but neither does it mean that the agitator is always right.
In many instances there is a hidden motive or driving force. What will be the financial consequences and who will gain and who will lose due to the change? This was the case also in Ephesus as Demetrius said, “Men, you know we receive a good income from this business … There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.” Acts of Apostles 19:25/b-27. What was the real reason of the uproar? The loss of good income, the trade (making silver statues) would lose its good reputation or the goddess Artemis would be discredited? Has it ever happened in our society that personal gain overruled the interest of the community?
Praise the Lord for the talented and smart leader who speaks the language of the crowd. What happened in that great turmoil in Ephesus? “The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: ‘Men of Ephesus, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to be quiet and not do anything rash.'” Acts of Apostles 19:35-36. The Christians should pray for such a leader whom the people trust and who is working hard for peaceful solutions.
Life will always be controversial and present crucial alternatives/decisions to be made. If we add faith to our decision-making process it is even harder to find the right choice. From the positive viewpoint, what solution is best; and from the negative aspect, which one is the lesser evil? Can we heed Apostle Paul’s admonition? “Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22.
The Rev. Alexander Jalso is a retired United Presbyterian minister living in Brownsville.