Jesus Saw Paul – WJS6

Reading: Acts 9:1-19 (Click Link for Scripture)

1 Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. 2 He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains. 3 As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” 5 “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! (Acts 9:1-5 NLT)

All the Christ followers in Jerusalem and those who had been scattered already by persecution knew about Saul of Tarsus. He was a man on a mission from hell, hunting them down to kill them! Probably not many of them had seen him, because they did everything possible to stay out of his way. And many of those who did see him didn’t live long to tell about it.

Jesus saw Saul on his way to Damascus to arrest and bring Jesus-followers back to Jerusalem to be imprisoned and executed if they refused to renounce their faith in Jesus. But Jesus saw not only Saul the Persecutor, Jesus saw Paul the Apostle! Jesus saw him clearly as he was, but he also saw him just as clearly as he could and would become. So everything Jesus said to him and led him through from that point forward was directed at the process of making Saul into the man Jesus saw!

When Saul encountered the risen Christ on the Damascus road, it was an encounter he would not only never forget, but an encounter that would define his life, his identity, and his purpose from that day forward! One thing Jesus saw in Saul/Paul is his total commitment to what he believed. When he believed that Jesus was a false teacher, heretic, and impostor Saul was totally committed to “protecting” his people from him. Once he believed that Jesus is Lord, he was as totally committed to telling the entire world about his Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God!

This makes me think about me and you, friends. Does Jesus see in me a man who needs to be constantly nudged, prodded, and pushed to be a Kingdom of God person? Or does he see a man who only needs to believe in him to be completely committed to him, to his Lordship, and to his purpose?

Prayer:

Father, Today I recommit to your Lordship. I will do what you want me to do and be who you want me to be! In Jesus’ Name!