”When Paul arrived, the Jewish leaders from Jerusalem gathered around and made many serious accusations they couldn’t prove. Paul denied the charges. “I am not guilty of any crime against the Jewish laws or the Temple or the Roman government,” he said. Then Festus, wanting to please the Jews, asked him, “Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there?” But Paul replied, “No! This is the official Roman court, so I ought to be tried right here. You know very well I am not guilty of harming the Jews. If I have done something worthy of death, I don’t refuse to die. But if I am innocent, no one has a right to turn me over to these men to kill me. I appeal to Caesar!” Festus conferred with his advisers and then replied, “Very well! You have appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar you will go!” A few days later King Agrippa arrived with his sister, Bernice, to pay their respects to Festus. During their stay of several days, Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. “There is a prisoner here,” he told him, “whose case was left for me by Felix. When I was in Jerusalem, the leading priests and Jewish elders pressed charges against him and asked me to condemn him. I pointed out to them that Roman law does not convict people without a trial. They must be given an opportunity to confront their accusers and defend themselves. “When his accusers came here for the trial, I didn’t delay. I called the case the very next day and ordered Paul brought in. But the accusations made against him weren’t any of the crimes I expected. Instead, it was something about their religion and a dead man named Jesus, who Paul insists is alive. I was at a loss to know how to investigate these things, so I asked him whether he would be willing to stand trial on these charges in Jerusalem. But Paul appealed to have his case decided by the emperor. So I ordered that he be held in custody until I could arrange to send him to Caesar.” “I’d like to hear the man myself,” Agrippa said. And Festus replied, “You will—tomorrow!”“
Acts of the Apostles 25:7-22 NLT
When is the right time to make demands? Paul had certain rights afforded to him because of the fact of his lineage as a Roman citizenship. Yet, time and time again, he is seen reserving that right until just the right time as it is needed. He consistently receives injust and harsh punishment and is sometimes brought to the brink of death before he will call upon that right. He certainly doesn’t use that right to remove himself from difficult situations. It seems that the only time that right is invoked is when it is needed for the continued spread of the gospel. Keeping with Paul’s worldview, it seems that he viewed his Roman citizenship as a tool to be used freely and cleverly by the Kingdom of Heaven. He made sure to reserve its value, understanding it to be a means to unlock doors in the Roman world that a Jew could not. This was his birthright and he gave it to the kingdom. This is in stark contrast to Esau who despised his birthright and squandered it for food. As we navigate the complicated trapping of this world, it is important that we recognize God’s sovereignty in giving us everything we need for completing his task upon this earth. We must respect everything that we have a gift to complete his will and do so with it.
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