Day 14 - March 5

The church was rapidly growing as the apostles spread the good news of Jesus Christ and the promise of salvation. Of course, trouble followed these brave men and women just as it did for Jesus. Their message was new and different and it changed the lives of the individuals and the cities that they visited. Change, of any kind, is never easy and the change the apostles brought with them was more than just a new diet or a shift in the daily routine. They preached that the Gospel was as true for the Jews as it was for the Gentiles, essentially changing the way that the people understood salvation. For the Gentiles, this was amazing news and they were filled with hope and enthusiasm for all the Gospel had to teach them, but the Jewish leaders did not like the idea of flinging wide the temple doors to let anyone enter. They had dedicated their lives to following the Law of Moses and teaching others to do the same and here come these unqualified men who are changing the rules and upsetting the order of things. As we move through our lives we, undoubtedly, experience times when we feel like the apostles who are bringing a message of hope and change to a broken people, but we would be lying to ourselves and to God if we claimed to never be like the religious leaders who wanted to keep order and continue the traditions of their faith and communities. When in your life have you felt like an apostle or a religious leader? What, if anything, did you learn from the experience?