Acts 9:1-19a
Acts 9:1-19a September 13, 2020
Acts 9:1-19a
But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you
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came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened.1
Dateline Istanbul – March 24, 2017
New York Times
By Patrick Kingsley
ISTANBUL — When 22 Christian refugees gathered in the basement of an apartment in Istanbul early on a recent Sunday afternoon, it was quickly clear that this was no ordinary prayer meeting. Several of them had Islamic names. There was an Abdelrahman and even a couple of Mohammads. Strangest of all, they jokingly referred to their host — one of the two Mohammads — as an irhabi. A terrorist.
If Bashir Mohammad took the joke well, it was because there was once some truth to it. Today, Mr. Mohammad, 25, has a cross on his wall and invites other recent converts to weekly Bible readings in his purple-walled living room. Less than four years ago, however, he says he fought on the front lines of the Syrian civil war for the Nusra Front, an offshoot of Al Qaeda. He is, he says, a jihadi who turned to Jesus.
It is a transition that has surprised everyone, not least of all himself. Four years ago, Mr. Mohammad tells me, “Frankly I would have slaughtered anyone who suggested it.” Not only have his beliefs changed, but his temperament has, too. Today, his wife, Hevin Rashid, confirms, with a hint of understatement, that he is “much better to be around.”
1 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ac 9:1–19). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. 2
I don’t know how Bashir’s story has continued. This article is three years old, but the topic and the title of the article certainly garnered attention when first published. Stories like this often pop up on timelines and other places, but to be honest, not often from news sources like the Times.
A jihadi terrorist who becomes a Christian is newsworthy.
Yet, Bashir is not the first person who could be considered a terrorist or enemy of the church to convert to Christianity.
While the word “terrorist” may not be the term you would apply to Saul in the New Testament, as we read about his history, his zealousness, and the actions he not only took, but the ones he fueled, it is clear that he certainly created and caused terror among those who believed differently than he did and dared to follow the one who called himself the Way, Truth, and Life.
We first encounter Saul as Stephen was put to death. He is that figure in the shadows leading the charge, holding the cloaks of the persecutors, and celebrating the death of the Christ-follower.
We see him described and his actions declared by Luke in Acts 8:3
3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. 2
Saul was doing evil, depraved things in the name of his religion, for his own glory and joy. I think we often sugar-coat or ignore the depths of depravity expressed here regarding the personality and driving force behind Saul. If I were to speak of someone ravaging the church, breaking into homes and dragging off people so they could be put into prison...images of Nazis shoving innocents into train cars to move them to prison camps and concentration camps comes to mind. It may seem
2 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ac 8:3). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. 3
strange to equate this Jewish man to a Nazi, but the evil being done by him and others is not much different.
That image of inexcusable evil and hatred of image-bearers of God is what we see before us in Saul.
Of all the men in the nation, Saul would have been high on the list of “will never become a follower of Christ.”
He was known. He was bad. He was feared. He was evil. Saul of Tarsus. But God...
God intervened in this story in such a way that seems so odd, so strange, so rare...until you realize that his intervention here is not unlike his intervention in each of our stories.
Saul had accrued permission and had authority to do things that are unconscionable.
Acts 9:1-2
But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
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Spoiler Alert: Saul the Christian hater becomes a Christian. This is what I just read in Acts 9, so you know this. The most vile of men is transformed. He is met by Christ. He is confronted by the Holy One. He is blinded. He is changed. The Saul at the end of chapter nine is nothing like the Saul at the beginning.
Saul’s encounter with God was unique...in some ways, but the principles revealed in the transformative plan of God transcend people, time, languages, and circumstances.
Meaning this – Saul’s conversion story ultimately is not unlike yours and mine (for the Christians listening.)
1. GOD INITIATES SALVATION
3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
I grew up believing that it was people who sought God. I actually thought, based on the way many testimonies were worded from Christians I knew that God was out there somewhere, then at some moment either preceded by questioning, crisis, or maybe just curiosity, people seeking God found him and became Christians.
Unintentionally, these stories of conversion seemed to be more about the person being saved than the One doing the saving.
Don’t get me wrong, these conversion stories were inspirational and not unlike the terrorist who became a Christian or Saul’s story here, the “before Jesus” moments were often dramatic, amazingly intriguing, and were movie-ready.
The only problem is the way that God was often portrayed – like some hidden Easter egg in field, under a tree, or somewhere
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disguised that was tripped over by the lost person. While I do understand that the Kingdom of God is not unlike a treasure found and hidden in a field, the point of Matthew 13 was not about salvation in Christ being something sought and found, but something that when presented is understood to be more valuable than any amount of money, possessions, or power this earth has to offer.
So, Christian, know this. God initiates salvation. He saved you. He rescued you. He orchestrated all that was needed and necessary for you to be redeemed and transformed. He is the primary character. He is the author. He is the pursuer.
Paul figured this out immediately as the noonday brightness of the sun was paled by the brightness of the One who is Light.
He referred to this when referencing Psalm 14 and Psalm 53 to the believers in Rome in Romans 3:10-11...
10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 3
Since words matter, remember that you didn’t seek for God...he sought you. You didn’t really commit to Christ, you surrendered to him and were rescued, ransomed, paid for, bought with blood, and transformed.
Just like Saul.
2. SINCERITY DOESN’T SAVE
This is a call-back to something that was prevalent in Saul’s day and maybe even more so today. Our culture places a higher value in sincerity, or perceived sincerity, than it deserves.
3 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ro 3:10–11). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. 6
“It doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you are sincere,” is the mantra.
What?
This is not only drivel, but deadly.
Sincere belief in an untruth matters.
Sincere actions based on sincere beliefs are useless. Sincerity alone DOES NOT MATTER.
Saul was sincerely seeking to drag men and women who claimed to be followers of the Way into prison with the sincere hopes and desires that they too would be flogged, stoned, or crucified for all to see.
“At least Saul was sincere” was not the phrase offered by the children of arrested Christians, fearful believers, or even disciples in hiding or in other cities like Ananias.
So, take this to heart friends – your sincerity is nice, but if it is grounded on the sinking sand of humanism or personal “ought tos” then ... it not only is wrong, but deadly. Eternally deadly.
When did Saul discover his sincerity was worthless?
4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
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3. BLINDNESS TURNED TO SIGHT
8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing.
Saul was blinded. He remained in the darkness for three days until a man named Ananias (who, by the way, initially did not want to come see Saul because he knew his reputation – so like Moses, he said “no” to God initially, but eventually followed obediently) came to him and in praying over Saul, was used as an instrument to reveal to this blind man that Christ was the Son of God, the sight- giver, and the life-giver. He was the way.
You may say “Well, I’m not blind.”
Jesus said clearly that his mission was to “give sight to the blind” and when he read that from the scroll of Isaiah in his hometown at the beginning of his ministry it surprised the people. They didn’t like it. Yet, he was declaring his mission and that’s what he has done for every single boy, girl, man, and woman who has been blinded by sin, by human-focused world views, by selfish desires, by a me-first mentality. Saul could finally see, for he was not truly blinded for only three days, but for his entire life.
CONCLUSION
Saul was transformed. Saul was rescued. Saul was saved. God sought him. God revealed himself to Saul. God removed the blindness from his eyes. Saul’s repentance revealed when the Spirit comes upon him left this terrorist with a new job description and new identity.
The good news of the gospel changed Saul and ... well...the story gets really amazing in this life of Saul/Paul.
Finally – just like Saul, you are not too far gone for God’s grace. It’s called Amazing for a reason. Do you know this Jesus? He’s seeking you.
Footnotes
