Lenten Devotional 2017 - Restored: Finding Redemption in Our Mess

Scripture

Acts 9:1-20 New International Version

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to

Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.

"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."

The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!"

"Yes, Lord," he answered.

The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight."

"Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name."

But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."

Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord-Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here-has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.

Meditation

When Jesus Meets Us - Jonathan Morris

This is a dramatic story of how Saul turned away from persecuting Christians and began following Jesus. It sounds like an epic struggle of Good against Evil, complete with amazing special effects, and worthy of a Hollywood script... but the story is not the monumental confrontation it first appears to be.

We see the true significance of this event on the road to Damascus when we look carefully at Jesus' words to Saul and at Jesus' words to Ananias. When Jesus stopped Saul with His appearance in a blinding light, He first called Saul's name-twice-and in the casual Aramaic language, not in formal Greek. This choice of words expressed Jesus' endearment and closeness to Paul. The other places in the scriptures where Jesus speaks like this are to his dear friends Martha and Simon Peter. So before Saul even recognized that Jesus of Nazareth had risen from the grave, Jesus treated Saul as a close friend.

The next phrase Jesus spoke to Paul sounds ridiculous when we imagine the scene: Jesus appeared surrounded by a bright light and Saul cowered on the ground before a person so powerful that Saul called Him "Lord." In that setting, Jesus asked, "Why do you persecute me?" How could one so powerful be persecuted by one so weak?

Jesus chose to be persecuted, because Jesus' followers were being persecuted. Jesus told the disciples "I am with you always," and this conversation shows us Jesus meant it literally. Saul was traveling to Damascus to confront and stop the heretics who claimed Jesus as their Lord, but Jesus did not fight back with a confrontation. Instead, Jesus, in unfathomable humility and sincere love, asked Saul a question.

Let's now look at the explanation for this encounter that Jesus gave to Ananias: Saul did not have this dramatic conversion experience because he was a serious threat to Christians. Instead, Jesus chose to bless Saul with this miraculous encounter because of how much suffering he would experience when serving Jesus.

Reflection

If this were an epic tale of how Saul, the Persecutor of Christians, was defeated by Jesus, the Son of Man, we would not see ourselves in it. It would be nothing more than an entertaining "hero" story.

Instead, this is a story about how we meet Jesus, not just in a conversion experience, but again and again throughout our lives.

We are never fully ready to meet Jesus, but that never stops Jesus from meeting us when we need Him. Jesus is always ready to meet us, and that's all that matters.

Jesus loves us deeply, no matter what we have done or are doing. Jesus treated the person who was leading Jerusalem's annihilation of Christianity as a dear friend, so He will always love us and reach out to us. We could never earn that love, and that doesn't matter at all to Jesus.

This experience also shows us that no matter what battle we are facing,

Jesus has already won. Saul was ready to concede to the powerful One who appeared in the blinding light, but Jesus did not demand Saul's surrender. Instead, He greeted and engaged Saul. Ananias was concerned about what Saul had done, but Jesus already was seeing Saul's ministry to come.

When Jesus meets us, He greets us with love as brothers and sisters. He provides everything we need and more to do what He asks us to do. He goes with us and stays beside us, even in our darkest times. Even when we are at our worst, He also sees us at our best. We are always perfectly Loved.