EATING SAGITTARIUS

Acts 17:3-7
3 "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," [Paul] said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. 5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus."

The universe has a bully. The Milky Way is making a meal out of its neighbor, Sagittarius--and is showing no mercy. Our galaxy is tiny compared to its prey, but Sagittarius has no defense. Scientists say it's being stretched, torn apart, and will someday be gone.

I'm not sure how that works, but I understand a little about bullies. They're mean, relentless, and they love to knock down anyone in their way.

Paul and Silas had a run-in with some of these "tough guy" types. They were leading people to Jesus, some Jews got jealous, and the situation was ripe for trouble. The Jews "rounded up some bad characters" (Acts 17:5) and started a riot in the streets--with no pepper spray to slow them down.

Did these "bad characters" even know who Paul and Silas were? Did they even know what the two out-of-towners were teaching? Or were they just up for a fight?

It's easy to get caught up in an emotional crowd. Just look at the football fans who tear down goalposts. Or the fires and flipped-over cars after the home team wins (or loses) a championship. Some of those people probably get home and wonder, What in the world was I thinking?

No one wins in these out-of-control situations. There can be serious consequences--like jail or lost privileges. Innocent people get hurt--physically and emotionally. How did Paul and Silas respond to the rioting bullies? They didn't add fuel to the fire by fighting back. They took off for Berea, where a lot of people became Jesus-followers because of their message (vv.10-12).

If you have a reputation for having a short fuse, or always seem to be around when there's a fight, ask Jesus to help you control your emotions and channel that energy into productive things. If you find yourself being stretched and torn apart by bullies, do the most courageous thing: pray for them (Matthew 5:43-44). It's a great defense for what's eating away at you. --Tracy Carbaugh

DESTINATION POINTS

* Have I ever been bullied? How did it make me feel?
* When I get really angry, is it justified? Or do I just enjoy getting fired up?
* Am I an emotional bully? How do I try to manipulate people to do what I want?
* What can I do to help someone who is being bullied?

LINKS:
When Anger Burns
http://www.discoveryseries.org/cb942

Detailed Look at Milky Way Gobbling a Galaxy
http://www.space.com/science astronomy/galaxy_gobble_030924.html

bottom line: Choose right--don't pick a fight.

soul journey