Day 115, Acts 9
Good Day Everyone!
Today we see Saul go from Persecuting Christians — breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord —
to CONVERSION! How can this be?
HE was after men and women and bringing them back to Jerusalem IN CHAINS!!!
HE was on his way to Damascus — on his journey –
when God comes to us many times aren’t we on a journey — usually on OUR OWN journey — heading away from HIM!
What great Mercy does God show us especially in what happened to Saul –
A light from the sky suddenly flashed around him!!!!
HE falls to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,
“Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me?”
Can you imagine answering our Lord and saying, “Who are you sir?”
The reply came… “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting…. NOW get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do”
Now can you believe that Saul who was arresting Christians — was going to just get up and go?
He did call him SIR — that was respectful!!!! But come on!!!
All the men with Saul heard the voice and so they were speechless because they could not see anyone!!!
But there goes Saul — he gets up from the ground –
now I love that it takes Saul to the ground and Jesus calls him to GET UP –
when you are knocked to the ground on your own journey — there is only way but UP!
But when Saul got up he could see nothing!!!
This is so incredible and FOR THREE DAYS he could not see and neither ate nor drank!!!
SO we see the number three again!!! We see that Our Lord had to really manifest himself in such a powerful way — using Saul’s humanity — his vision in the natural to symbolize the new vision he was going to give him spiritually!
I love that they led Saul by the hand!
Now here is the amazing part! So we must listen up!
Meanwhile there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias” and he answered, “Here I am, Lord”
This is the prayer of a servant — just like the prophet Samuel prayed…
The Lord said,
“Get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is there praying”
Now Ananias ask the Lord about this — I mean this was the man who he had heard was doing terrible things to His Holy Ones in Jerusalem and was doing evil wanting to imprison all Christians calling upon Jesus name — and he said “he has authority from the cheif priests”
Then Jesus says…
“Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites, and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name.”
WOW — this is pretty clear direction — so I wonder if Ananias could see the Lord?
Either way he knew what he had to do — and he received that grace –
so think about Ananias — that is the same thing as if a man was persecuting your family — and then you were asked by the Lord to go and take care of him and pray for him!
Well that happens today — we see people all the time acting unjustly and we have to forgive them and show love and compassion — wow
How gracefilled we find Ananias — and yet we receive the fullness of Jesus Christ — we should be able to do the same thing if we are full of grace!
And look at Ananias — lays his hands on Saul and says,
“Saul, MY BROTHER, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the holy Spirit.”
and then we see
IMMEDIATELY things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight!!!!!
He got up and was baptized and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength — and here we see the power too and significance of fasting — we see that while this was going on he did not eat or drink –
What I cannot get over is that he spent some days with the disciples in Damascus and began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God!!!
OK so wait — no catechises — no master’s degree — Saul is out there teaching right away — and all were astounded and said,
“Is not this the man who in Jerusalem ravaged those who call upon this name, and came here expressly to take them back in chains to the chief priests?”
I mean this is like the person we see on the 6 o’clock news who is committing crimes against the people and then you are supposed to listen to him if he came to your door?
It had to be totally shocking that a man they feared was no on their team?
But Saul grew stronger and preached even better and confounded the Jews in Damascus — which is a good sign — when there is confounding going on that usually means good teaching!
And all the good preaching was to prove that Jesus was the Messiah!
What a huge move of God — how unexpected — just when the people were going to see chains — Jesus does something that no one could have done in human words —
I know a Jewish man at our parish who had an experience like this — his wife is Catholic – Mary –
and she prayed for a long time I’m sure — but no mere words were going to convert him — he had an experience of the risen Lord and that was it — he became Catholic and now he is one year away from being a Deacon in the Church —
SO Jesus is still manifesting himself to those he chooses for conversion — and so again — Jesus is in charge of the Church and we just need to be like Ananias and say — “Here I am Lord”
God bless and please share!
Tomorrow we read — verses 23- 43 — rest of Chapter 9!
