Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”

Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”
Acts 25:9-12

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Social media gets mixed reviews. Some people like it. Some people do not. In my experience, it’s a great way to share updates with family and friends who live far away. It’s helpful to anyone who wants to promote and build a business or get their message out to the world. It’s also an easy way to catch up on snippets of news, music, politics, humor, and more. But social media, like anything neutral that gets misused or abused, has a dark side too. Today’s talk of the town can scroll by and turn toxic in an instant. When that happens, it’s tempting to jump into the firefight instead of providing shelter from the crossfire.

Imagine reading this headline on Instagram or X: “Pastor Paul Unjustly Tried, Faces Extradition.” If you follow Jesus, your gut responds one way. If you don’t, but have an opinion about the growing Christian church, your gut responds another way. Now it’s your choice—keep scrolling or join in on the comments. This is precisely the crossroad facing Festus, the new Roman governor of Judea. He held the fate of a Roman citizen in his hands. Should Paul, an innocent man, be sent to Jerusalem and likely killed or receive the chance of a fairer trial under Caesar? As public comments kept rolling in under the post, Festus had a life-altering choice to make. The amount of tension in this whole situation—particularly for Paul and the worldwide future of Christ-followers—is hard for me to stomach.

I haven’t cracked the code yet, but I believe there’s a way to be more courageous when critical comments fly my way, both online and in-person. I appreciate that Festus boldly provided Paul shelter from the crossfire by granting his appeal. And Paul didn’t cave in under the pressures of popular opinion either. With injustice all around, God’s purposes prevailed because people chose what was best instead of adding fuel to the comment fires. Instead of jumping to conclusions and judging who’s right or wrong, I’m challenged by Festus and Paul’s predicament to seek God’s wisdom, discernment, and strength before saying anything.

Next Steps

Reflect on the situation involving Festus, Paul, the Jewish leaders, and the early church. Then respond to the questions below:

As you seek God’s wisdom, discernment, and strength daily, how can you help provide shelter from the crossfire to someone instead of letting your gut side with public opinion?

Whether online or in face-to-face conversations, do you tend to comment quickly when today’s headlines come your way or just let them scroll by?

When are you most tempted to make a snap judgement about someone or some situation?