In light of yesterday’s post on responding to the needs of people around you, you should know that your help won’t always be met with open arms of acceptance. In Acts 4:1-3, the Sadducees were pretty upset that Peter and John had healed the crippled beggar in the name of Jesus and that they were teaching the people that Jesus is the Messiah. The Sadducees were a group of extremely conservative Jewish leaders that believed and followed the Hebrew Bible strictly and literally. They did not believe in the resurrection, miracles, or a personal Messiah. (They were very “sad, you see?!”) Therefore, the Sadducees put Peter and John in jail!
Consider this. Thomas was not as blessed as most other children. From birth he could neither hear nor talk. When he was about 5-years old, he began learning how to work in the field. Year after year he worked long hours in the field. Some believers heard about Thomas and took him to church. There, God completely healed him. Later, he got married and began to testify about his healing. But many people opposed him. Why? Because their churches taught that God does not heal today. Never mind that Thomas was living proof! One night, the Lord awakened Thomas and warned him to leave his house immediately. He and his wife left and climbed a large hill nearby. A short time later, people from the village surrounded their house. They blocked all the doors and windows so no one could escape and they burned the house to the ground. Thomas and his wife were shocked! Was this the people’s response to the Good News?! Why did people hate them?
Bottom line is this: Do not expect praise from everyone you do good deeds for. After all, nine out of the ten lepers did not even say “thank you” when Jesus healed them (Luke 17:11-19).
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