The Blameless Blamed

Acts 25.1-21 ~ Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, where the chief priests and Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul. They urgently requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way. Festus answered, "Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon. Let some of your leaders come with me and press charges against the man there, if he has done anything wrong." After spending eight or ten days with them, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day he convened the court and ordered that Paul be brought before him. When Paul appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges against him, which they could not prove.
Then Paul made his defense: "I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar."
Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?"
Paul answered: "I am now standing before Caesar's court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!"
After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: "You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!"
A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul's case with the king. He said: "There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner. When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned.
"I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over any man before he has faced his accusers and has had an opportunity to defend himself against their charges. When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in. When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. When Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar."
Greetings in the name of the Lord.

Have you ever been falsely accused? Someone pushes you out there to take the blame you don't deserve-- Sometimes you don't even know their agenda. . . why they want you to pay. As the pendulum swings, it seems there is the falsely accused, and then just wrongly accused (without malice), to being hated for what one stands for, to simply being misunderstood. . . Paul was being falsely accused so that those whom he offended with the gospel of Jesus Christ might eliminate him. They knew too much---Paul could not be silenced; he had experienced Jesus Christ, and he was not turning back. Paul was not only passionate, but dogged in his determination to be a witness for the Lord--AND he had lived half a lifetime as a proud, reverent, intelligent law-abiding Jew. He had known and followed both paths; again I marvel at God's choosing the perfect man to take the Gospel throughout the world. Truly, His ways are higher than our ways.

So, what should be our reaction when falsely accused? Look at the passage--what did Paul do? The underlined sentences indicate that Paul spoke the truth, he set the record straight. Perhaps he reflected on Jesus' words, "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." (Matthew 5:11,12) Paul knew that the stakes were very high; he was ushering in "The Way", a 'new way' and the Jewish leaders were threatened. Their position blinded them to the truth of Jesus' saving grace.

It can be like that, you know--someone is so convinced that you are the enemy, that they are blinded to the truth you represent; their version of reality is skewed. Jesus knew that well, didn't He? Jesus was 'taken out' by the same mentality of the Jewish leaders that sought to get rid of Paul. David knew how it felt to be hated. . . to have to run for his life--consider this: "O God, whom I praise, do not remain silent, for wicked and deceitful men have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues. With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause. In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer. They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship." from Psalm 109

Paul had the wisdom of the Psalmist, the inspirational words of the Savior, and Jesus' unwavering example to follow as he passed days, then weeks, then months and years in prison--due to false accusations. If you find yourself similarly maligned, consider how the Lord would have you respond:
1) Commit the cause to the Lord, 2) Speak the truth, 3) Seek to understand the situation, 4) Be fervent in prayer,
5) Wait on God to act-- "The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest." (Exodus 14:14 Amp)
6) Do not seek revenge. . . because that will only make matters worse. "For we know Him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:30,31) Rather, we might follow David's example, as he says further down in Psalm 109, "But I will give repeated thanks to the Lord, praising him to everyone. For he stands beside the needy, ready to save them from those who condemn them." What??? Yes, even as you wait for the Lord, praise Him. He is the God on the throne--just because you are 'under it', never lose sight, that he is 'on it'. Yes,
7) Praise God, even as you are passing through the waters. . .

I have prayed these steps through, and I believe they are sound, so I pass them on to you. Be courageous. Nothing less is required.
Christine