daily java

Daily Java:

The next morning the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, “Let those men go!” So the jailer told Paul, “The city officials have said you and Silas are free to leave. Go in peace.” But Paul replied, “They have publicly beaten us without a trial and put us in prison—and we are Roman citizens. So now they want us to leave secretly? Certainly not! Let them come themselves to release us!” When the police reported this, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. So they came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city. When Paul and Silas left the prison, they returned to the home of Lydia. There they met with the believers and encouraged them once more. Then they left town.  (Acts 16:35-40)

In 1971, I was in Germany in the army. I was driving through a group of people who were milling in the road celebrating some festival, most of whom were half drunk. As they finally parted for me to drive my Volkswagen through, a boy darted out and I hit him, hard enough to bounce up an land on my hood and dent it. he jumped up and ran to the side of the street.

I was afraid. I had less than two weeks left in Germany in my tour of duty in the army and I figured I would go to jail.

The Polizei came and we tried to talk with my limited German. Finally, the MPs came. They took me away from the Polizei and I finally went home.

As it turned out, the boy was not hurt and he got a ticket. Germany is different. But I was glad to see the MPs. And I made full use of them and the government.

As an American citizen, I am only nominally subject to the laws of other countries. I obey their traffic laws and other stuff, but when it comes down to it, I am a citizen of America. And I do not mind using that citizenship.

In the first century, a Roman citizen carried weight. He was, as it is mentioned a lot today except for real, a “citizen of the world.” Since the Roman Empire was the world empire, to be a citizen of it meant that you were due special privileges. And one of these special privileges was that you were not to be beaten. You were always treated with respect.

When they were released from jail, Paul brought up the fact of his Roman citizenship and that he had been beaten illegally. This meant that the city officials were subject to a lot of problems, including imprisonment themselves.

Paul said that if they want us to leave, let them come and ask us themselves. So they came and apologized and asked, in fact, it says they begged them to leave town.

Paul and Silas decided they didn’t want to yet. They had been busy when arrested and decided they would finish what they had started. So in spite of the fact that they city officials wanted them to leave, they stayed around for a while.

You can bet the police didn’t  bother them one bit.

There is nothing wrong with asserting your citizenship and your rights. That is why we have them. The great apostle Paul did so without being bashful in the least.

We are, of course, citizens of heaven. Philippians 3:20 says: But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. Hebrews 11:16 calls us foreigners and nomads here on earth.
Because of that, we realize our citizenship, our very allegiance lies somewhere else. I lies with God.