God's Unconventional Way

The Christian Community Comes Alive
Giving Bold Testimony

Saul Earns Credibility

Acts 9:10-21  The Message

¹⁰ There was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. The Master spoke to him in a vision: “Ananias.”
“Yes, Master?” he answered.
^11-12 “Get up and go over to Straight Avenue. Ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus. His name is Saul. He’s there praying. He has just had a dream in which he saw a man named Ananias enter the house and lay hands on him so he could see again.”
^13-14 Ananias protested, “Master, you can’t be serious. Everybody’s talking about this man and the terrible things he’s been doing, his reign of terror against your people in Jerusalem! And now he’s shown up here with papers from the Chief Priest that give him license to do the same to us.”
^15-16 But the Master said, “Don’t argue. Go! I have picked him as my personal representative to non-Jews and kings and Jews. And now I’m about to show him what he’s in for—the hard suffering that goes with this job.”
^17-19 So Ananias went and found the house, placed his hands on blind Saul, and said, “Brother Saul, the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw on your way here. He sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” No sooner were the words out of his mouth than something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes—he could see again! He got to his feet, was baptized, and sat down with them to a hearty meal.

^19-21 Saul spent a few days getting acquainted with the Damascus disciples, but then went right to work, wasting no time, preaching in the meeting places that this Jesus was the Son of God. They were caught off guard by this and, not at all sure they could trust him, they kept saying, “Isn’t this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem among the believers? And didn’t he come here to do the same thing—arrest us and drag us off to jail in Jerusalem for sentencing by the high priests?”

For Reflection 

Saul of Tarsus--who would have thought...?  Certainly not Ananias!  How many Christians do you know that would have had reacted the same way as Ananias?  How many Christians do you know whose eyes, like those of Saul, are coated with the scales of false prophets.  What will it take for us to see and realize the truth?

Pray

for those who have seen God and have been cleansed by the experience.  Praise God for the prophets of our time that remind us of the true meaning of the Gospel.  Praise God for those who respond to the love of God and preach justice, peace, and. forgiveness.  Praise God for those who advocate for the poor.  Praise God for those who seek justice in an unjust world.  Praise God for those whose compassion drives them to risk their lives in service to the Lord.