13 October | EVERYONE
«Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.» Acts 9: 1,2
No one can be a Christian who does not personally encounter Jesus. There is a danger of coming into contact with the theory of the gospel and believing that it means encountering Jesus. The encounter with Christ is a living experience that destroys your glory and does for you what you cannot do for yourself. Saul’s encounter with Jesus took place on the road to Damascus. Charles Spurgeon said that, since Saul of Tarsus was an important person in his day, he was probably riding all tall and proud, perhaps on a very high horse, but God only needed a few seconds to put him in his place. That is the way it is with God. He has a plan for every life, and He also has His exact time to get things done. Saul was, without a doubt, a sincere man. He persecuted God’s people with all sincerity. But sincerity is not synonymous with being right. It is possible to be sincerely wrong. And Saul was. He only understood his sad situation that day on the way to Damascus.
It was noon. And despite the sunlight, a much brighter light was seen. Everyone was frightened because they saw it, but only Saul was blinded. His physical eyes lost his vision, but his spiritual eyes opened, and he beheld Jesus who said to him, “‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ Then the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting’” (Acts 9:4-5). Poor Saul, he thought he was persecuting a band of rebellious fanatics, but he was persecuting Jesus. He believed that he was doing God a favor by persecuting Christians but he was actually fighting against Him. Prejudice is blundering, irrational, and stubborn. In Saul’s case, God had to use a drastic method to open his eyes.
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Saul had a concept about God that was very distant from that of Jesus. A God who persecutes those who do not think like Him. Do you follow such a God in any way, or have your eyes already been opened to behold Jesus?