Mob Violence: Closing Our Ears to Truth

Scripture:

Acts 7:⁵⁷ But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. ⁵⁸ Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 

Observation:

Stephen was a good man who was faithfully serving God. When he preached in front of the crowds they became angry. The words he spoke were cutting to the heart of the matter and this made them uncomfortable. Instead of listening to the truth, they physically began to cover their ears. They wanted to believe their own version of truth and would not be swayed any other way. Covering their ears they became a mob and rushed at Stephen, dragging him out of the city and stoning him. 

The young man, Saul, was zealous for the truth and he “knew” these believers were wrong. We don’t read that he covered his ears, because I would like to believe that his curiosity got the best of him. He wanted to hear what Stephen had to say because maybe he could use it against the followers of the Way. But he stood silently and watched the cloaks of those who stoned Stephen. Maybe for Saul a little bit of truth was seeping in.

Application

Mobs are a very scary thing because they are people who are out of control. At midnight on December 31, 1999 we stood on Red Square. We had taken a long time to get there, along with the rest of the massive crowd. We went through seven sets of security screenings as we made our way closer and closer to the center of the city. The throngs were swarming around us, but we wanted to experience this moment of history. It was freezing cold, but we didn’t care, we were going to be there, with all these people to usher in a new millennium. The square had huge screens all around it, mounted on the buildings. Shortly before midnight, then President Boris Yeltsin spoke to the crowd. Before he finished, he had resigned from his position and then he introduced an unknown Vladimir Putin to us all. This would be our new leader. I’m not sure what they were expecting but the square was also filled with military who were in an X shape, dividing the square into four sections of people. We weren’t allowed to cross that line. They were there to keep us under control. This wasn’t an easy task as the energy of the night and now, the news, was bubbling amongst this crowd of people, many of whom had been drinking for hours. In that moment it wasn’t hard to imagine how it could have gotten out of control. One little spark and it would have been a mob. Children trampled, and utter chaos. I was grateful for the military presence.  They were there to keep us rational. 

It’s far too easy to close our ears to truth. We may not do it physically, but we may tune it out emotionally. This week we have been presented with the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus, the Messiah was born to bring all of us life. Just because we refuse to listen to that story doesn’t make it false. By closing our ears we become part of the mob who refuses to accept Jesus as the Messiah. They march on chaotically, trying to say that their reality is our reality. Unfortunately a world without Jesus becomes a mob. There are no rules, or morals, and slowly we slip into despair. Anxiety and fearfulness rule the day, and we become a society addicted to drugs and other substances which numb the mind. We don’t want to give up our self-centeredness for worship of a tiny baby, and very humble king. 

Embracing the truth that is Jesus Christ is counter-cultural. It stands firm in the midst of the mob and refuses to join in. With ears open to the truth, we follow the babe and find the peace and joy that is promised. 

Prayer:

Lord, may I never cover my ears and resist the truth. Amen.