From mean to man, from Saul to Paul!

Acts 9:1-21

All this time Saul was breathing down the necks of the Master’s disciples, out for the kill. He went to the Chief Priest and got arrest warrants to take to the meeting places in Damascus so that if he found anyone there belonging to the Christian Way, whether men or women, he could arrest them and bring them to Jerusalem. He set off. When he got to the outskirts of Damascus, he was suddenly dazed by a blinding flash of light. As he fell to the ground, he heard a voice: “Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me?” He said, “Who are you, Master?”  “I am Jesus, the One you’re hunting down. I want you to get up and enter the city. In the city you’ll be told what to do next.” His companions stood there dumbstruck—they could hear the sound, but couldn’t see anyone—while Saul, picking himself up off the ground, found himself stone-blind. They had to take him by the hand and lead him into Damascus. He continued blind for three days. He ate nothing, drank nothing.

There was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. The Master spoke to him in a vision: “Ananias.” “Yes, Master?” he answered. “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.” 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.” 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.”

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. 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.

Food for thought!

Today, allow me to use the first reading for our meditation. It is because of a story, not only about what Jesus did but about what Jesus does; this story is a strong statement from Jesus: if He can change Saul, the murderer into Paul, the apostle, He can change and use any of us for his purpose. Paul's story is your story, is my story.

OUR PAST CONDITION IS NO OBSTACLE

Paul was guilty of doing everything in his power to put Christianity to death. Paul was a murderer. Paul's story prove that our past is no obstacle to our future; we cannot hold onto our past forever. Because you have failed in the past is no excuse to stop dreaming of a better future. Like Paul, we can and should rise up and stand anew.

OUR PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES ARE NO OBSTACLE

Paul was caught red-handed; he was on his way to Damascus to find Christians to arrest and to take them to their deaths. He was filled with hatred and wanted nothing more than to completely destroy anyone or anything connected with the name of Jesus Christ. Yet, in spite of all this, the Lord was able to change this man and to use him for the glory of God.

May I remind you that He can do the same thing in your life and mine. He can take us, with all the baggage that we carry, and He can use us for His glory. We all bring certain liabilities. The Lord is able to take us exactly where we are, right from our road to Damascus, change what needs to be changed in us and then use us greatly in a new way. He said of Paul, "I have picked him as my personal representative."

PUBLIC OPINION IS NO OBSTACLE

When God wants to use us, He doesn't mind what the people say. God was able to use Paul in spite of what was being said by the people: «Everybody's talking about this man and the terrible things he's been doing», protested Ananias. The Lord doesn't mind what people do mind about us. God can take the person that everybody talks against and use him or her as his representative.

Even Jesus had the public opinion against him. Some people assumed that He was the bastard child of a Roman soldier, John 8:41. Others saw Him as being no more than the son of Mary and Joseph, John 6:42. Other people thought that there was no way God could use someone from Nazareth, John 1:46. Others questioned the fact that He came from Galilee, John 7:41-42. Some even said that Jesus was nothing more than the tool of Satan, Mark 3:22. Even with such public opinion against him, God used him.

So, regardless of who you are, where you came from, what problems you had in the past or have now, what personality you have, what your level of education, regardless of your accent, or colour of your skin, you can still make it; don't write yourself off. God has all kinds of people in His service. Your weakness is no obstacle. Are you nothing in the public opinion, or tormented by what everybody says? You too, can be another Paul. The secret lies in surrendering to Jesus, in taking him serious, in following his dictates, and not humans'.