Rev. Michelle Manuel

Acts 17:16-32
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he argued in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and also in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Also some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers debated with him. Some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign divinities.” (This was because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.) 19 So they took him and brought him to the Areopagus and asked him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 It sounds rather strange to us, so we would like to know what it means.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners living there would spend their time in nothing but telling or hearing something new. 22 Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. 23 For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. 26 From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, 27 so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. 28 For ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’ 29 Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. 30 While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

32 When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some scoffed; but others said, “We will hear you again about this.”

Reflection:
The above Scripture passage is long. We aren’t used to such a long reading at the Daily Habit. However, this giant chunk of Scripture is important to the one, tiny verse where we will tarry today. Look to verse 32; “When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some scoffed; but others said, ‘We will hear you again about this.’” If we haven’t looked at the rest of the story and studied it in detail, we risk missing the magnitude of this tiny verse. Who were the people who said this? Athenians, Stoics, and Epicurean philosophers—very learned folks, experts on their beliefs. Yet, in a mere 20 or so verses we see (some of) them move from arguing against the Gospel to saying, “tell me more.” What a big shift!

Have you ever dealt with someone who is an expert or someone who considers themselves an expert? They do not change their minds easily. In our age of information, there seem to be many self-proclaimed experts amongst the legitimately credentialed, experienced scholars, scientists, etc. This is with whom Paul is debating. In light of that fact alone, verse 32 is HUGE—a miracle even. To change the minds and hearts of human beings may be one of the biggest challenges our world has consistently faced. To even utter the words, “tell me more” is showing up as a learner, not an expert. “Tell me more” is laying down the idol, created in our own image, that posits “I know it all. I’ve got this thing down. I’m the one everyone should be listening to.” Tell me more is a position of humility.

Notice this statement is not actually claiming a position; it’s not a decision or statement of faith. Instead the statement “tell me more” is merely one step toward belief. It is a pathway of curiosity that leads us to a deeper faith, a bigger God, a love that we could never imagine. At some point in all of our lives, we leaned in and consciously or unconsciously found ourselves in this very place of “tell me more.” Tell me more about this Jesus. Tell me more about salvation. Tell me more about life abundant that Christ can give. Tell me more about how to live the life of a Christian.

Our hearts and minds house deeply held beliefs and ideologies that impact every choice we make. For example, I believe my family is important so when 5 o’clock rolls around—work done or not—I close up shop and get myself home. I fully believe in the mission of the church, so I support it financially by giving my first fruits, my pledge, even before the money comes in. I believe that my health is foundational to serving God and loving my neighbor, so I take a Sabbath and seek nourishment of body and soul. You get the idea. Our beliefs impact our actions. Whether we are new to Christianity or a seasoned disciple we can continue to take this posture of “tell me more”—a place of submission to the transformative power of Jesus.

How does verse 35 speak to you today? When someone presents a totally ludicrous thing such as resurrection do you scoff or do you say, “tell me more?” Even if what the person is espousing is truly not something you’re interested in, it’s still a helpful phrase. It’s a pocket phrase that we can pull out in the most heated arguments. “Tell me more about your point, I want to understand.” It can bridge relational riffs. “Tell me more about how I hurt you. I want to hear you.” It can help us move into a deeper faith and understanding of God. Tell me more about this confusing passage of Scripture or theological concept.” It’s this posture of humility that can free us from the hidden idols within us.

There is much at which to scoff today, but instead, our humble response can be “tell me more.” This non-expert, posture of humility can lead us to the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.

Prayer:
Jesus, my teacher, my Rabbi-

Thank you for continuing to mold and shape my beliefs and my understanding of your Kingdom. Thank you for continuing to love me to wholeness as I grow deeper in my faith. May my actions reflect a deep faith in you. I confess that’s not always the case, but I accept your grace afresh each day. Please, Jesus, keep telling me more. Amen.