Law & Order is an American police and legal television drama created by Dick Wolf. It has been broadcast on NBC since its debut on September 13, 1990. Set in New York City, the series follows the professional lives of several police officers and prosecutors who represent the public interest in the criminal justice system.The series is the longest-running primetime drama currently on American television. The show was recently renewed for a twentieth season, which will tie it with Gunsmoke as the longest-running primetime drama in American television history.

The program generally follows a two-part format, with the first portion of each episode devoted to the investigation of a crime and the second portion depicting its prosecution. The show usually begins with a slice of life in New York (walking a dog in Manhattan, jogging in Central Park, etc.) unrelated to the main story until a character in the scene suddenly discovers, witnesses, or becomes a victim of a crime (mostly murder). The scene cuts to the police’s preliminary crime scene examination wherein the featured detectives make their first observations and offer theories followed by a witticism or two, before the title sequence begins. Unlike most legal dramas, the proceedings are shown from the prosecution’s point of view and indicate that it can be as difficult to convict the guilty as it is to clear the innocent.

All of Acts 22-23 would fit would make for a great episode of Law and Order. We have already seen the “Order” part of the story: a false accusation, mob violence, a bloody victim, and the victim’s press release. In today’s text, we see the beginning of the “Law” part of the episode, where the commander of the Roman army initiates the prosecution by setting up a pre-trial hearing to gather more information about Paul’s case. He is trying to determine whether Paul is an offender or a victim.

So, as we launch into this story and learn more important lessons about the Christian life and ministry, I would like to begin by repreating that famous opening line from Law and Order: “In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the police, who investigate crime, and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories.”

Scene 1 – Fulfill Our Duties (1)

As the Sanhedrin convened on short notice and gathered around Paul outside the Roman commander’s barracks for a pre-trial hearing to get to the bottom of this controversy, Paul speaks boldly in his own defense. He stared straight in to the eyes of his accusers and declared that he had a clean conscience because he fulfilled his duty to God. I believe he is specifically referring to his duty of being a witness for Jesus Christ. He had just finished telling the whole mob his conversion story whereby Jesus Christ totally transformed his life. He was not guilty of any crime, nor did he feel guilty about anything he said in his testimony about Jesus. He simply took care of his responsibility and fulfilled his duty to God. Regardless of the consequences he would face at the hands of the Romans or the Jews, his conscience was clean before God.

Doesn’t that sound great? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a consciece that is totally clean before God? Can we join Paul in his declaration?

Some of us may be thinking, “Wow! That does sound good! I would love to have a clear conscience before God, but how do you get it?” The same way Paul did. Like him, when we take care of our responbilities and fulfill our duties to God, then we have a clean conscience before God.

Now some of us might be thinking, “Okay, what are my duties to God?” Well, all Christians are called to be like Jesus. It is our duty to live lives filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control. Are we fulfilling these duties?

Likewise, all Christians are called to serve Christ’s church and be his witnesses wherever we go. How are we serving the church? Are we sharing our faith in Jesus with other? When we fulfill our duties, we have clean consceinces!

Here are a few more duties to think about! If you are married, it is your duty before God to love, cherish, and serve your spouse. If you are a parent, it is your duty to provide for and protect your kids and also to shepherd their souls. If you are a farmer or teacher, it is your duty to tend the land or instruct the children. If you are a nurse or a factory worker, it is your duty to care for the sick or take care of the orders.

What are your duties? Are you fulfilling them? Is your conscience clean?

Scene 2- Respect authority figures (2-5)

Well, the high priest, Ananias, was offended by Paul’s declaration and showed his disapproval by ordering some of the council members to slap Paul across the face. This action was illegal according to both Roman and Jewish law because, as with our courts today, prisoners were presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Paul quickly shows his disapproval of this action by losing his temper. We expect Paul to respond like Jesus and turn the other cheek, but Paul shows his humanity and sinfulness by threatening and insulting him, “God will strike you, you white-washed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!” His insult of “white-washed walls” is where he accused the religious leaders of being hypocrites. Just like a white-washed tomb, it looks clean and shiny on the outside, but the inside is corrupt and decayed. Interestingly, Paul’s threat that “God will strike you” came to pass just a few years later when Ananias was assassinated by militant nationalists.

The other members of the Sanhedrin were schocked at Paul’s audacity to speak to the high priest that way, and they questioned him about it. Since this was not an official meeting of the Sanhedrin and the high priest was not wearing his distinguishing garb, Paul had no idea that this man was the high priest Ananias. When Paul found out who he was he immediately apologized to the offical and quoted a verse from Exodus 22:28: “Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.” This act of apology showed Paul’s willingness to submit to God’s Word even when it was difficult and inconvenient. Although he believed that Ananias was a two-faced back-stabbing crooked corrupt hypocrite, he respected the office and did not want to speak evil about the ruler of his people.

This is a good lesson for us today. Just like Paul, there will be times when we are under the authority of back-stabbing crooked corrupt leaders, but we must be careful not to speak evil about them. Even if we don’t respect the person in the office, we should respect the position enough to keep our tongues in check. For instance, we may have some sharp disagreements wih a particular leader’s economic strategy or health care reform, but we should be very careful about what we say with our lips. We may struggle with a leader’s foreign policy or position on war; but we should be very careful with what about e-mails we forward and what we post on our Facebook page. We may not be able to stand the personal or ethical conduct of a president, governor, or senator, but we must remember that God has allowed that person to fill the position, and there is no place in the Christian life for political bashing!

Even though Ananias was responsible for Paul’s face being slapped, Paul immediately apologized to him when he realized that he was guilty of speaking evil about a ruler of his people. I wonder if any of us sitting here this morning are guilty of speaking evil about a ruler of our people? I wonder how many of us need to apologize for participating in some form of political bashing? May Christ forgive us and may we show respect for the authroties he places in our lives and ministries!

Scene 3- Employ wisdom (6-10)

Paul figured out very quickly that this direct approach to his defense wasn’t working very well, so he employed a little wisdom to the situation and decided to change his tactics. Just as before when he employed wisdom by addressing the Roman commander as a Roman citizen, now he addressed the Sanhedrin as a Pharisee. He knew that the Sanhedrin was a 70 member council made up of both Pharisees and Sadducees. He also knew that if he could pit these two religious parties against one another, it would take the focus off of him and give him a better chance for survival.

So, Paul makes his belief in the resurrection of the dead the center of his defense. He knew that the Sadducees didn’t believe in anything supernatural (resurrection, angels, spirits, and the like), but the Pharisees believed in all of them. As Paul instigated this already fierce theological debate, he got exaclty what he wanted: a great dispute broke out between the two groups and the Pharisees wound up defending him before the Roman commander. They declared, “We find nothing wrong with this man!” They even acknowledged, “What if a spirit or angel spoke to him?”

Sure enough, this caused the dispute to get so heated that the Roman commander again feared for Paul’s life and came to his rescue. The soldiers had to removed him by force and escort him to safety inside the barracks. Paul’s defense worked and his life was spared because he employed wisdom in his life and ministry.

Here is another very valuable lesson for us today. It is very important to apply wisdom to every situation we face in life and ministry. There are very few things in life where there is only one way to do it. When we learn how to step back, survey the situation, think through all of the options, and select the wisest one, we will be much more effective at whatever we do.

Paul could have kept charging through the front door by asserting his innocence and accusng the leaders of corruption, but he realized that his chances were much better if he went through the back door and got the Phariesees on his side. When some people read this passage they accused him of being manipulative; I applaud him for being wise. If Christians are to be effective in life and ministry, we need to take Paul’s example to heart. Jesus himself said, “We must be as innocent as doves and as wise as serpents.”

Think with me for a second! Where could you apply a little wisdom right now? What situations are you facing that could use some wisdom? Have you really surveyed the whole situation? Have you really thought through all of the options? Is there another way to go about it? Let’s follow Paul’s example! Let’s employ some wisdom!

Scene 4 – Take comfort in God’s presence and sovereignty (11)

As Paul was led away by the soldiers and returned to his holding cell following the hearing, he still didn’t have a very good idea of what was going to happen to him. Yes, some of the Pharisees were on his side, but the Sadducees were out for blood. He had no way of knowing how the commander would rule in this case. He couldn’t expect any help or encouragement from the Jerusalem church; it was far toodangerous for any of them to intervene at this point.

Just like a defendant awaiting a verdict from a jury in a capital case, Paul was confined to his cell and his throughts for two days. Can you imagine what went through his mind as each hour passed in silence? “What is going to happen to me? Will I live or die? Will I ever get to see my churches again? What will happen to the ministry of the gospel? Will I ever tell another person about Jesus? Will I ever get a chance to go and take the gospel to Rome?”

He must have considered all of these questions in the loneliness of that desolate cell. He must have been discouraged and distressed, if not downright depressed. Where was God in his darkest hour? Why would God allow his servant to experience such adversity?

I think most of us ask these quesrtions too. When we go through dark days and difficult nights, we ask: Where are you, God? When we experience adversity and fear, we ask: Why me, God? What could you possibly be doing with this? In times like these, it is easy to doubt God’s present and sovereignty, but let me assure you: God is always there and he is always in control! You will never experience something that God doesn’t want you to experience!

In verse 11 we learn that Jesus himself stood near Paul and gave him the exact comfort, guidance, and hope that he needed. This was not a dream or a vision! The actual resurrected Christ showed up in bodily form to assure Paul of his presence. His words “Take Courage” gave him comfort. His command to testify in Rome gave him hope and assured God’s complete control over Paul’s life.

Whenever we face adversity—whether it is related to our relationships, work, finances, or future, know that God is always there and he is always in control. His plan is always larger than what we can see. It never ceases to amaze me at how we often see God’s presence and sovereignty revealed most clearly during the darkest times of our lives.

I don’t know what kind of darkness you are going through or what kind of adversity you are facing, but I do know that God is there and he is in control!

Well, this story is certainly filled with law and order, but was justice served? I’ll let you be the judge! As we live out our Christian lives, I hope that we will all learn from Paul’s example and fulfill our duties, respect authority figures, employ a little wisdom, and take comfort in God’s presence and sovereignty!