You will only find yourselves fighting against God

Acts 5:27-41 (TNIV) -

27 The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest.

28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins.

32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33 When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35 Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.

39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

40 His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.

My thoughts -

It takes a lot of faith to say what Gamaliel says here in verses 38 and 39. How else could you explain this? Human efforts ultimately fail. We believe that God is in control and God's will will ultimately prevail. We are allowed to participate in this and should be thankful for that, but we're really not all that important to it. If some yahoos want to preach some nonsense that's their business. No sense killing anyone over it. If it's not of God it will fail. If it is and you're against it you just picked a fight you can't possibly win.

I don't really have that kind of faith. I'd like to, but when people preach that which I disagree with I get pretty bent. When people do things I think are wrong I get pretty bent. Not bent enough that I'm looking for reasons to stone them, but pretty bent nonetheless. And didn't Jesus teach that hating someone is killing them in your heart, which is just as bad?

Also, verse 41 here just slays me. I can never imagine reaching the place in my Spiritual journey where I think of suffering as anything other than a really bad thing to be avoided. And yet the disciples left this situation "rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name". This is my jaw on the floor. Rejoicing? About suffering? For real? Wow.

I am always humbled when I read scripture. I like to think of myself as a "good guy". In the "Bible stories" in my own mind I'm always a protagonist, you know? Maybe not the central character (OK, usually the central character, they're MY stories, after all) but always on the right side. And then I read these things. And I think about them. And I reflect on them. And I know myself, I can't fool me. And I always have to admit that I have more in common with the "bad guys" than I'd like. And far less in common with the "good guys" than I'd like.

There is still so much work left to do.