25 He called them together, along with the workmen in related trades, and said: “Men, you know we receive a good income from this business.
Economic pressures can greatly affect people’s actions. When people’s source of income is threatened, sometimes they are willing to do drastic things to keep eating. When young people run away from home they often have to do things that degrade them just to be able to survive. A man named Demetrius realized that his business was in jeopardy. As people are turning to Jesus they are not buying the religious trinkets that Demetrius and his colleagues have been producing. Demetrius tracks business trends and he makes the determination that now is the time to act, or he will have no business at all. So he calls a meeting of the local artisan’s union. He lays out what he perceives as the problem: Paul. He has not been paying attention to the teaching of Paul, or the demonstrations of power that have happened. All he cares about is his bottom line. He just needs to feed his family and maintain his standard of living. These are real concerns for each of us. There is a place for these concerns, but not at the expense of the Truth. He is like a good union organizer. He gathers his members and presents his case. Where are economic considerations in your priority list? Are they in the proper place? I remember when just getting enough to pay the rent and utilities was a daily concern. It seemed to invade my present, and at times it seemed to take over my present. Those were stressful times. I dreaded the pressure. And we did not live extravagantly. We had no extras like cable TV or cell phones. We had our cheap car and a very small place to live. We ate very frugally. But those economic pressures seemed to mount. That is what Demetrius sees on the horizon and so he gathers to fight against the impending downturn in his economy. What do you do when the economy takes a downturn? Panic?
The Arnold Journey 