Arriving at Lystra, after escaping death threats in Iconium (Acts 14:5-7), Paul continued to preach the truth about Jesus.  A lame beggar heard the gospel, and Paul could see that he wanted to trust the Saviour.  Like Peter and John who healed a lame beggar on the steps of the temple in Jerusalem (Acts 3:1-9), Paul looked at the beggar and commanded him to stand up.  God's power came on the man who had never walked from birth, and he was able to walk and jump.

The crowd thought that the Greek gods had arrived on earth.  Word soon travelled, and soon the priest of the temple of Zeus came in from outside the city, with sacrificial animals and festival garlands.  He also believed that his god had come to the city.  The miracle, and the popular adulation of Paul and Barnabas, was a wonderful marketing opportunity for the pagan temple authorities to exploit, even though it was not true.  Something much more wonderful had happened.  The true God had healed a helpless man when he believed in Jesus.

As we shall see, Paul and Barnabas had quite a task to stop the people worshipping them (Acts 14:14-18).  They had come to proclaim Jesus and not themselves.  He should be worshipped, not them.  Their attitude was like that of John the Baptist who said, “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30).  But the priest's hunger, for personal and religious advantage, wanting to deify Paul and Barnabas, distracted the people from listening to God's Word.  But they held firm.  They refused to be flattered and vigorously protested that they were not gods.  However, they had come to bring a message from the true God, who had indeed come down to earth, in the person of Jesus (Acts 14:14-18). 

That flattery problem has not gone away; it is even present in some so-called Christian ministries today.  Apparent miracles enhance the reputation of the leaders or evangelists, who make money directly or indirectly from spectacular signs and wonders.  Their ministries are personal performances, attracting personal praise and profit.  It is not the apostolic model - they went to great lengths to reject any personal advantage from their mission.  Yet, the desire to be successful, and to use God's gracious interventions to validate ministry, easily drags leaders astray.  If you are one, be determined not to take any personal advantage from your service to God.  If you know such people, pray for them that they will resist the temptations of money, fame and power … and commit themselves humbly to serve the Lord Jesus and His gospel.