Some years ago, I spent time around famous people with whom I served on a board. One of them owned a huge soft-drink company. When a group picture was taken, he quickly handed us products his company sold for us to hold for the photo op. Although I felt like a prop, I had to admire his devotion to his brand. He wasted no opportunity to advertise for his company.
Paul revealed a similar devotion to the cause of Christ. He was all about Jesus all the time. When the commander of the Roman troops arrested him, he asked the crowd why they were trying to kill Paul. They couldn’t get their story straight, so he took Paul away. The crowd wanted the Romans to “get rid of” Paul. No wonder, the commander was surprised when Paul spoke in Greek to him. In a case of mistaken identity, the commander had confused Paul with an Egyptian revolutionary. Once Paul introduced himself, he asked to speak to the people.
Why didn’t Paul just take the exit to safety? What would you say to a lynch mob, anyway? Paul didn’t just have to say something, but he had something to say. When they became quiet, he spoke in Aramaic, the native tongue of the Jews in those days. Then he told them about Jesus.
I know we are not salespeople. Certainly, we are not here to hawk our own brands. But we must waste no opportunity to speak a word about Jesus. He is the only one who has saved us and wants to save others. Stand up for Jesus and speak up for him. The world needs to hear, even more than it needs a refreshing soft drink. Jesus is the only one who can quench the thirst of our souls.
