Acts 17:1-5, 10-15; 16-34
“MAKING KNOWN THE UNKNOWN!”
Years ago Johnny Cash famously performed at a state prison down south somewhere. At the time, it was controversial and he caught a lot of heat, but he sought to connect... It was easy to see how the inmates could relate to him. He was cool, had a history with the Law and there he was strumming his guitar all dressed in black. But when he spoke into the mic, I thought he’d lost his mind: ‘Hello – how do you do? My name is Sue!” This was about 40 years ago – in Georgia, no less!
I thought the inmates would charge the stage but instead they loved it. He sang then, of a man whose father named him Sue. It spoke to men whose fathers were anything but loving and supportive. It spoke to those who grew up angry. With one song he connected with those men. The song implied that you can either give in to the anger or try to overcome it. His concert concluded with Amazing Grace…pointing to a hope that God had not forsaken them but was a God of second chances.
In Acts 17 we read of Paul & Silas’ efforts to share the God news of second chances with the cities of Thessalonica and Athens. While in Thessalonica Paul repeatedly visits the local synagogue explaining to his peers....how Jesus fulfilled the prophecies about the coming messiah. But later? In Athens? Paul takes a very different approach.
Having left Luke in Philippi, and Silas and Timothy in Berea, Paul heads to his next destination: ancient Athens. Ahh Athens... What an amazing city! While there, we walked where Paul walked, visiting the Roman agora, a pagan temple, the famous Parthenon and, on the way, the Areopagus, Mars Hill. We arrived by plane, Paul arrived by boat in the Port of Faliro, the port that launched Meneleus & his 500 war ships bound for Troy, starring Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom and Diane Kruger. Anyway, along the way “Paul was troubled by all the pagan idols he saweverywhere in the city.” Hoping to connect with them he began “speaking daily in the Roman agora to all who happened to be there.” (Acts 17:16-17)
A center of philosophy and learning, Paul engages the Athenians in a discussion, a debate, not an antagonistic one, but as was the norm of the day, an exchange of ideas and varying perspectives.
The Epicureans and Stoics were the dominant philosophers of the day. The Epicureans believed that seeking happiness or pleasure was the primary goal of life. The Stoics, on the other hand, placed thinking and reason above feeling and pleasure. Paul's message about Jesus' resurrection prompted a mixed response. According to Plato, it made no sense for the soul to return to a discarded body. Such talk was babble! Some laughed, others wanted more info while still others came to believe.
Paul seeks to connect with the Greeks so he quotes their poets, affirms their inclination to worship and dotes on how religious they are, quoting an inscription he read on an altar in town: “To An Unknown God.” Such altars were erected so the Greeks & Romans could leave a sacrifice there, so they didn't anger a temperamental god inadvertently - to cover all their bases. Paul then makes an incredible claim and offer. He offers to make the unknown known and help the disconnected connect: “Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you!” (Acts 17:23)
He reveals his hand, his strategy, in a letter he writes to another church he planted in Greece...:
“Though I am free..., I make myself a servant to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jew I talk as does a Jew. To the Greek, I speak like a Greek; to the weak I become weak, to win the weak. I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring some to Christ.” (1 Cor 9:22-23)
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Nowhere is his approach more evident than in Athens. Here, Paul models four key steps to wit-nessing to those around us. First, listen and observe. In order to speak like a Greek, Paul pays attention to what those around him are talking about, what's important to them. He notes their idols, talks with people in the market place, has conversations with their teachers and thinkers, even reads their poetry...
This step is far too often skipped by those of us eager to share our faith. We're too quick to talk and too slow to listen, but everyone has a need to be heard....
Chuck: I've come to you because lately I've.... been....trying to...
Lucy: Wait a minute. Before you begin, I must ask that you pay in advance. 75 cents please.
Lucy: (PLINK!) Boy! What a sound! How I love to hear that ol money plink! The beautiful sound of cold, hard cash! That beautiful, beautiful sound! Plink! Plink...! What a beautiful sound! So, you have a problem? Well, you've come to the right place! ...I need the money!
(The Parables of Peanuts, p. 309/180)
Did you notice that we never did find out what troubled Charlie Brown? Lucy never asked!
Listening and asking good questions does two things. One, it provides an opportunity to better understand what the other person's world view is. Two, it expresses our interest in that person, that we truly care about them. As an Alpha guest once said, “This is the first time anyone really listened!”
So first, Paul listened and observed. Second, he affirmed and connected. This is what he was doing when he made the statement, “People of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines.” (Acts 17:22-23)
Here he shows that he's interested in what they're interested in, what their beliefs are, what their priorities are, and then celebrates what is noteworthy and what he and they have in common...
He affirms them, commending them for their belief that this isn’t all there is to life, that there's a greater power at work in the world. Paul celebrates their inclination to worship which is what we all do when we marvel at a sunset,delight in a newborn baby, acknowledge our blessings as gifts from God. Paul affirms them and then offers an observation: “You have been worshipping him without knowing who he is.” (Acts 17:23) That's his third approach: He brings God into the conversation, drawing their attention to God's goodness. He's making the unknown known.
He begins by pointing to the wonders of the universe as evidence of God's goodness. Then he quotes from Greek literature to confirm his genuine interest in what interests them, pointing out that we're all created on purpose for a purpose:“His plan in all of this was that all people should seek after God and feel their way toward him, and find him – though he's not far from any one of us.” (Acts 17:27)
It's like the Dad who played hide n seek with his kids. When it was his turn to hide he'd whistle funny tunes. One of his kids asked, 'Why...daddy?' Because I love it....when it when you find me!
Having established our common purpose Paul goes on to establish our common need: “God has set a day for judging the world” Instinctively we know that. The brokenness of this world cries out for justice! Come to think of it, we all have a lot to answer for...! We've all acted selfishly, hurt others. We're all in a bit of a pickle and in need of a good, cosmic lawyer, or better yet, a sympathetic judge.
And that’s the good news:“God has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he's appointed and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:31)
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Clearly, it's in one’s best interest to get to know 'the man'. And that's the point. This is Paul's 4th step: to point to Jesus' resurrection as the turning point of history, and of each of our own stories! After all, it's in our holding on to the one who can defeat sin and death, that we're able to do likewise.
Jesus is the same today as he was when Paul told the Greeks about him on Mars Hill. So it’s not the message that needs to change so much as it is our approach. When Paul spoke to his fellow Jews he was able to reason with them from the Scriptures but when Paul spoke to the people of Athens on Mars Hill, his approach was different. He still spoke of Jesus and the resurrection but his starting point and approach varied. It was not so much a sermon as it was a discussion: “Some said, ‘We want to hear more about this later.’ That ended Paul’s discussion with them, but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius,…and a woman named Demaris…” (Acts 17:32b-34)
He left them wanting more apparently. He spoke some, he listened more. That was Kim's approach with her roommate, Jody as well. Kim knoew that Jody, was heavily into witchcraft but they got along well so Kim started to pray about how she could share Jesus. One day as she was headed to an event at her church Jody asked her why she went there so often. Kim bluted out, “It's the people! Come and see!” After that, when opportunity arose, she'd mention her faith, of her trying to do what Jesus would do. This led to Jody checking out her church's web site. Her curiosity aroused she began to attend services after getting off of work at the Wicca store in town. That initial conversation led to further discussions on good and evil, something that Jody was both interested in and troubled by. Jody later wound up taking the Alpha Course and at the retreat, upon being prayed for, she realized that she was free of the dark thoughts and inner lies that had plagued her. She know works for Habitat...!
I love how Acts 17 ends with Luke identifying by name a couple of those first Greek believers, reflecting that this is about getting to know people whose names and stories matter! As Paul indicates, God’s heart is that we all see ourselves as seekers. So we don’t go out to convince people where they are wrong and we are right, rather we learn to ask good follow up questions, to listen, looking for clues about where God is already at work, ready for his nudge to do our part, like those who prayed for Jody!
Rick Richardson, in his book, Reimagining Evangelism, highlights several scenes from the Lord of the Rings as wonderful pictures of how to pursue spiritual conversations with our fellow travelers. In one scene Gandalf suggests that just maybe there is something bigger at work in Frodo’s life than Frodo realizes. When, in a moment of darkness, as the fellowship of which they are a part seems to have lost their way, and Frodo, in particular, feels the weight of evil and his battle with it, expresses his discouragement, to Gandolf, their guide, who directs Frodo's attention to certain clues of God at work in Frodo’s life and the decision before them: “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the ring, in which case you also were meant to have it, and that is an encouraging thought.”
(from J.R.R.Tolkien's Fellowship Of The Ring)
He listens and then he offers to put the question at hand into it's proper perspective. This is precisely what Pauls does in Athens as well. Studying Pauls methodology, then, provides us with a four pronged approach: First, listen to their story; second, affirm & connect; third, bring God up; got fourth, point in some way to Jesus' resurrection. Paul went about this way...:
“God did all this so that men would seek him...and find him, though he is not far from each one of us! God has proved to everyone who his (anointed one...) is by raising him from the dead.” Maybe memorize that! Who might benefit by your lending them your ear and in turn inviting them? (Acts 17:27, 31)