Paul's preaching in Thessalonica had been effective.  Some Jewish people and devout Gentiles believed that Jesus is God's Messiah (Acts 17:1-4).  But other religious people were envious, just like those who crucified Jesus (Matthew 27:18).  Like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day, they were frightened that Paul's teaching would make their religion redundant, their power structures irrelevant, and put their religious identity at risk in the eyes of the Roman Empire (John 11:48) - although Thessalonica was a free city and not under direct Roman control.

But there was another reason for their angry and violent reaction.  Jesus is not a competitive religious leader.  Paul preached that He claimed to be the Messiah of God, the Light of the world and a King with universal authority.  That means He claims superior authority over every other authority, religious and civil (Ephesians 1:20-23).  The riot was a heartfelt response to a spiritual challenge from God.  So, the jealous religionists stirred up a mob to start a riot.  Jason had provided accommodation for Paul and Silas.  He may have been a relative of Paul (Romans 16:21), so the mob attacked his house, but the apostolic team were not there.

That is why they dragged Jason to the city council, using similar arguments to those of Christ's accusers.  The charge of treason was a strong weapon, reflecting significant anxiety amongst the civic leaders.  So, they decided to make Jason responsible for ensuring that Paul and Silas gave the city no more trouble, demanding a financial bond from him that would be lost, along with his liberty, if Paul and his message caused more problems.  Perhaps that is why Paul felt unable to go back (1 Thessalonians 2:18).

Religion has many faces, but Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15).  He is the ultimate challenge to every faith and secular system.  Jesus is seen as a threat to all of them and His claims threaten the self-seeking of Christ-less humanity.  And yet Jesus loves all He has made (Psalm 145:9) and was willing to sacrifice Himself for all of them (Isaiah 53:10).  Often the world is like a drowning man who tries to repel his rescuer.  That is the gospel challenge for the church: to persist in proclaiming Jesus despite rebuffs, opposition and persecution – so that the people who hate Him may know how much He loves them.  Are you willing to take up that challenge?