“When the crowd saw what Paul did, they shouted in the Lycaonian language: “the gods have become like humans and have come down to us! The priest in the temple of Zeus near the city brought some bulls and flowers to the city gate. He and the people wanted to offer a sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas.
But when the Apostles Barnabas and Paul, heard about it, they tore their clothes. They ran in among the people shouting, “Friends why are you doing these things? We are only human beings like you…”
Acts 14: 11, 13-15 (New Century Version)
It is natural or common for men to enshroud themselves in mystery, to be considered hard to figure out. There is the belief that familiarity breeds contempt and also that one’s ‘ability’ is premised on the ‘ignorance’ of others. For instance, a sorcerer is considered as powerful as he is mysterious. This is one reason why Jesus, at face value was not at all powerful. To the Jews of His time; he was just the son of the Carpenter they knew. Yet Jesus is known in history as the most powerful man that ever walked with supernatural abilities. He healed the sick, raised the dead, calmed the storm and forgave sins!
Paul and Barnabas, disciples of Jesus Christ were preaching in Lystra, when Paul perceived a lame man had faith to be healed. He cried out: “Stand up on your feet!” and the man jumped up and began to walk around. This great act of supernatural ability earned Paul and Barnabas the status of gods in the sight of the superstitious people of Lystra. In fact Barnabas was regarded as Zeus which is to the Greeks a parallel of the Jewish Jehovah and Paul, “Hermes”. The people even sacrificed to them!
Then the unexpected happened… Paul and Barnabas, instead of basking in the euphoria of their new-found fame, passionately demystified themselves by first tearing their clothes and running amongst the people, YELLING: “we are just mere human beings like you are”. Though the people went ahead to sacrifice, the Apostle’s attitude towards the people’s belief system is worthy of note.
A while ago, my wife related a conversation she had with a friend. It bordered around the “humanity” of a very famous minister of the Gospel in our country. Her friend who was a member of this minister’s Church considered it unthinkable that this minister could still at his level of ministry make love to his wife!!! I guess you may be laughing by now, but isn’t it true that we in the Church mystify servants of God and put them on a scale God did not put them?
My wife’s friend was however shocked when this minister’s wife (about six years later) explained at a Women’s Conference how important sex was to their marriage.
The Applause of Men
The truth is, if anyone is to take a portion of the blame for the ‘fall’ of most of God’s servants it is usually the people. In spite of Herod’s heart, had the people not acclaimed: “this is the voice of a god, not a human”, probably God’s Angel might have spared him. (See Acts 12:21 – 23).
I’m not exonerating the prideful nature of man’s heart but I am saying that it is the people that water such seeds. Here in Lystra, the people were at it again willing to venerate any person with supernatural ability – divine or devilish. The situation is no different from that of today’s Church.
It is common to hear Church folk argue amongst themselves which minister is the most anointed (referring here to endowment with supernatural abilities). There are instances where ‘upcoming’ servants of God would struggle with each other to eat the remnant of food from a more ‘accomplished’ (or is it anointed?) servant of God; and a lot of these more accomplished servants of God see nothing wrong with such actions. In fact, they may even tell us that is the way they attained their ministry (or spiritual) status.
The applause of men is not a new phenomenon, Jesus, in his time warned against the lure it possessed; he said (referring to the many people and leaders WHO BELIEVED ON HIM) that they loved the praise of men instead of the praise of God, that is the reason they would not acknowledge Him openly (see John 12: 42 – 43). Today Christians and even servants of the gospel are the heroes of the people; the people celebrate them; their lifestyle, mannerisms, Charisma, wealth and even their preaching! Many of God’s servants would do ANYTHING for an ‘honorary’ doctorate degree; some will go as far as attempt a six-month crash course in theology to earn a D.D or PhD (hey, that is true!) They are simply responding to the need to be respected among the people, responding to the applause of men.
Give Him a Break, He’s Only Human
Today we still hear stories of many disoriented Christians who opt out of the faith ‘simply’ because their pastors or other respected servants of God were involved in a public scandal; their verdict: “If that ‘big’ man of God could fall, then no hope for little me”. Apart from their obvious immaturity, one cardinal reason for their drastic action is the embedded orientation that as a man of God, one is a ‘god’ and cannot sin!
I do not intend to exonerate sin in any manner – whether private or in the public, but we must understand that as long as we are in this body, we are prone to do evil; it is only through constant fighting with ungodly thoughts and refusing to yield to the desires that come from our human nature that we can live above sin. (see 2 Corinthians 10: 4, 5 & 1 Corinthians 9: 26, 27).
Kirk Franklin in an interview with ‘Turning Point’ told of how God delivered him from certain sinful private indulgence. He visited a Church and he expected the people to cast a glance of recognition at him or accord him the respect due a ‘celebrity’ in the body of Christ; he got none of that. Instead, a sound preaching from God’s Word saw him making the necessary adjustments in his life; that Church is today his home congregation because he was considered as human as everyone else.
Much like the rest of the Church, our leaders are still fighting their passions and ungodly desires that come from their human nature. They are not immortal gods, but humans like us who have received an assignment along with the supernatural abilities to serve the Church.
A Servant’s Heart
Paul and Barnabas are our example of true Christians; they expressed what many lack: A Servant’s Heart. Unlike Herod, Paul and Barnabas responded differently to the veneration of the people. You don’t have to tear your shirt to prove it – but would you, if the occasion demanded? Showing people that you are as human as they are irrespective of your accomplishments in ministry can bring REAL DELIVERANCE to countless people.
My wife recounted the first time she visited her former home Church in Lagos, the Pastor in the course of his preaching said “sorry” (for some seemingly trivial issue) and continued speaking passionately about God. She wept. Why? Because most of her life as a Christian or Church leader prior to that moment; she had never heard her leaders admit a fault, much least to their congregation. Here she could see someone who was not insecure in his humanity. In fact he preached with so much of the power and presence of God.
What about You? As a believer, have you been entangled in the web of ‘applauding’ or ‘venerating’ God’s servants. Or if you are a preacher, do you live responding to the applause of men? Have you in your attempt at security, enshrouded yourself in mystery? You can cry out to God right now to free your heart from such influence and breathe fresh life into you – making you God’s servant not afraid to show your humanity in spite of his awesome power resident in you.