Instead they had some issues with him about their own religion
and about a certain Jesus who had died
but who Paul claimed was alive.
Paul must be quite clear about his message. Festus really doesn't know the finer details about the Jewish religion but he still understands the gist of what Paul is saying. Jesus is alive. This is the truth that makes all this difference. From this point all else follows. Festus says he doesn't know how to prove this true or false but he really could if he wanted to. There are plenty of witnesses. He simply doesn't want to deal with it. He wants to offload the burden to someone else. Many people in the world can relate. Perhaps we've all been there at one time or another. A truth we hear would require so much of us if it were actually true that we just don't bother figuring out if it is. This isn't a good strategy with the resurrection. If death has truly been defeated we need to know about it, lest we remain under its power.
Jesus sometimes asks us the same question multiple times to make sure that we truly understand the full ramifications of our acceptance. At first they begin at an almost unconscious level when we first tell Jesus we love him.
"Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?"
Simon Peter answered him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs."
The more we hear this question the more we understand that loving Jesus means more than we had guessed.
Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep.
Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger,
you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted;
but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will dress you
and lead you where you do not want to go."
He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.
And when he had said this, he said to him, "Follow me."
But as we grow in faith, we grow in our ability to say yes without reservations, wholeheartedly ready to follow Jesus. Jesus draws this love from our hearts. He is willing to work with us, to keep asking, inviting, and nudging, until we finally are all in for him.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits
A different All in All:
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