Acts 23:6-11 shows us another day in the life of Paul. His ministry was a series of one danger after another. Following Jesus by faith is dangerous and it is when things get dangerous that we are called to take courage. There are a few examples in Scripture of those who risked their lives for the sake of the name of Jesus or for their fellow Christians. Where the church is growing in the world is also where it is often dangerous to be a Christian. And yet some churches have tried to steer so far away from danger that they will not even adopt a highway because cleaning up alongside the road might be a little dangerous. In fact, we usually raise our children this way — live in a good neighborhood, send them to a good school, keep them away from messed-up people, doing everything for their good. This is not in fact for their good, ironically enough, because it puts their good above serving God and others. We cannot always keep them away from danger or from people who have messy lives if we want them to serve God and others. We cannot shelter them from all the dangers of the world, all the lions and bears, or they will not learn (at least not purposefully) how to trust God and take courage when faith gets dangerous.
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