Yes, Festus, We’re Madmen All

“And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.” Acts 26:24

In the verse that followed, the Apostle Paul immediately denied any madness. However, Festus must have thought that Paul either was or had to be mad to believe what he was saying. Coincidently, Jesus had to be either a liar or mad for saying that He and the Father were One; thus, inciting the Jews to accuse Him of blasphemy. Of course, the one remaining option that Festus and the Jewish leaders could not entertain was that Paul and Jesus spoke truth. And, oh yes, wasn’t that what Paul said to Festus? “…I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.” (Acts 26:25) Nonetheless…

How else can the world explain anything… good or evil; except for believing that any unexplained deviation in behavior must be the result of insanity. Of course, what the world calls normal is different from how the Bible defines it. There, we are told that all men are dead in their trespasses and sin, and as Paul explained, “There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.” (Rom. 3:11) Thus, how else could Festus see Paul but as mad? What Festus did not understand was that what Paul learned came directly from Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, Paul, formerly known as Saul, was dead like us before Christ. He did not understand; nor sought the living God. If Jesus had not stopped Saul on the way to Damascus, he would have continued on and have taken into custody the ‘followers of the Way.’ Even so, if it had not been God’s will for us, Jesus would not have stopped us along our way and introducing Himself. What must have been maddening to those around us was hearing a voice, but not seeing or knowing who spoke. How sad it is when someone may hear His voice but do not ask, ‘who is it?’  It is that question, and the resulting answer, that constitutes the effectual call. We hear God’s voice; which inclines us to ask and Christ answers. Perhaps, it is in that sense that a man may hear a call but then they turn aside; thinking that in order to preserve their earthly sanity, which is nothing more than a greater inclination to continue as they were before. Thus, they know not to ask.

Yes, Festus, from your perspective and the perspective of the world, we’re madmen all. It is no longer I who lives, but Christ within me. If you say that we’ve lost our minds; then I will answer, ‘Yes, I have. I now have the mind of Christ. I have no righteousness of my own; that is even alien!’ What choice does the world have; apart from joining us, then to call us mad? Yes, Festus, we’re madmen all.