Today’s Reference: Acts 9: 1-12 (NKJV)
1 Then, Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 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. 3As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”5 And he said, “WHO ARE YOU, LORD?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting, it is hard for you to kick against the goads.”6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. 8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”11 So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. 12 And in a vision, he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”
This inquiry is still being echoed around the world. Sometimes children amaze us with their actions, questions, responses, and we wonder what is fostering their behaviors. We exclaim, from time to time, that they are either something or something else. It seems that, from birth they are endowed with inconceivable insight. Yet mankind is still on a quest for an answer to the age-old question: Who are You, Lord?
Lordship by the very nature of the word denotes dominance, submission, rulership, obedience, and directorship. Dominance, rulership, and directorship are experienced when we recognize that a CEO is in charge. On the other hand, obedience and submission are responses to the authority of the CEO.
Saul of Tarsus was an important man to the Sanhedrin. He was their man. When they wanted news about Christians, Saul was their go-to. He had to have been watching/observing closely, the followers of Christ, so that he could identify them. Is there any evidence that distinguishes us as one of them? One of the things that we know about Saul, is that he was politically correct. He followed the law that required him to execute his mission, legally, so he was equipped for his journey. Although his intent was misguided, he secured the necessary permission.
As believers, we have some guidelines that must be adhered to, so that we will obtain God’s stamp of approval. (Ephesians 6:11-18) How equipped are we? Matthew 16: 24, tells us to take up our cross and follow God. What does that mean? The popular trend then was to persecute Christians. Their homes were far from being sanctuaries. Breaking and entering and imprisonment were the norm and so, Christians ran for their lives.
One of the dispersed Christians, Philip, went to Samaria and evangelized. Many miracles were performed. This resulted in numerous conversions and the receiving of the Holy Spirit. On the surface, it seemed that Simon The Sorcerer, was converted during one of these crusades, but inwardly, his soul also asked, “Who are you, Lord? (Acts 8: 18-23). His actions, in offering to purchase the power of the Holy Spirit, spoke clearly that he had a form of godliness. (2 Timothy 3: 5).
During the uprisings of persecution against the Church, Saul felt empowered to threaten and kill believers, because the governing body, the Sanhedrin, sanctioned his zeal. Just in case the believers tried to escape, he secured their compliance by restraining them. Do we bind ourselves by wearing blinders in regard to our fellow believers?
Who are you Lord? How do we know Him? Saul knew of Him as: The One the apostles followed; The power behind the miracles; The One that people ardently believed in; The One that had all the popularity in Jerusalem and The One who was changing life as usual. Saul knew those things about the Lord, and he began to reason: “What if everyone got converted to this Christ that Philip preaches about? The whole city will be changed.” Saul resisted change, so he devised a plan.
God’s perfect plan for Saul was the farthest thing from Saul’s mind. He was on the verge of what his fellow-travelers would describe as a catastrophe. When we know about the Lord, as opposed to knowing Him, every uncomfortable situation seems like a hindrance to progress. We ask, “Where is God? Why does God allow this? Does God hear my prayer? How can I still believe that God loves me?”
Saul, on the road to Damascus, addressed God as Lord. Take note that, although Saul called Him Lord, (Acts 9:5), God answered, “I am Jesus…”. God desired for Saul to know Him as Savior. Based on Saul’s history we can conclude that God was not his Lord. Obedience and submission were strangers to Saul, in relation to God. Saul could not pretend that he did not know that God was in charge. Thus, he gave God the title, Lord.
Saul knew that, that was who God was to the Christians. Why else would he identify Him as such? We may call it either pretense, ignorance, or submission on Saul’s part. Whatever label we may allot to Saul’s response, we know that whereas he had started out as an enemy of the cross, a heavenly light reached him. It propelled him to pray.
Sometimes it takes an uneasy situation to let us see the light. Saul needed that light to expose and dispel his darkness of being a people pleaser. The conversation that Saul had with God, changed his mindset, his name, his direction, and his mission. It resulted in a new pursuit after Gentiles. (Acts 26: 18). Saul was awakened to the fact that an attack on the Church, the Body of Christ, is in essence an attack on Christ Himself. That truth should help us to treat each other with dignity if our goal is to please God.
That reality then brought Saul to submission. The term, Lord, had a new meaning for Saul. What effects did the light have on Saul? He fell to the ground, heard God’s voice, conversed with God, exclaimed that God was Lord, accepted the plan that God had for him, and received divine instruction. He yielded to the lordship of Christ and was willing to follow the pre-ordered task. (Psalm 37:23). He discerned that God’s lordship does not require our permission to make decisions that govern us, God’s subjects.
When our lifestyle demonstrates that Jesus is our Lord, then we both consciously and subconsciously live in His Light. At the onset of Saul’s venture, he had no idea of what his journey would entail and ultimately produce. Similarly, we kick, scream, and struggle against our life’s process. (Acts 9: 5). Regardless of our resistance, God’s plan prevails. (Prov. 19: 21) Saul’s path was one of humility and astonishment. His experience was personal. His co-conspirators heard God’s voice, but they were too spiritually blind to detect the inward process that was at work when Saul saw the light.
Whereas Saul lost physical sight for a season, he gained spiritual insight: A far greater reward than the recognition he might have received from the Sanhedrin. He arrived at Damascus, although not by his intended mode of travel. He was on a God-appointed detour. While his spiritual awakening took place, he denied his physical need for food and drink. Sometimes the Lord leads us to do that, so that we become more attentive to His leading. Saul’s preparation for ministry began with a three-day God-consciousness, inner-cleansing, and compliance.
God prepared Ananias, a disciple in Damascus, to facilitate Saul’s transformation. (Acts 9:10). We also have a responsibility to do whatever we can to guide each other. Our availability is the key factor to the depth of our spiritual exposure. The number of years of our walk with Christ is not a determinant of our spiritual encounter. Regardless of how recent our personal experience with the Lord may be, He may choose to reveal things to us through visions, as in the case of Saul (Acts 9: 11, 12).
Is Jesus our: Jack-in-the-box; Sugar daddy; Genie; Commerce Company OR Lord? As Lord, He controls every aspect of our life. Whatever He allows is His purpose for us to acknowledge His sovereignty. In the secular world we are expected to function within the protocols of the government. When their laws are infringed, consequences are administered. (Romans 13:7). Remember that our opinions are not solicited when laws are being formulated. Likewise, God does not require our input as to the process He has for us. As Lord, we are expected to obey Him, execute His will, and follow His path, wherever it leads.
God’s plan for Saul (Hebrew name) included a name change (Paul: Roman). This change of identity, impacted Paul’s journey. God’s perfect choice for the persecutor of Christians was that he was chosen to evangelize both Jews and Gentiles and to be a recipient of suffering for Jesus’s Name. (Acts 9:15,16). As believers, do we portray an identity change? We prefer to deny the fact that entwined in God’s plan, may be our suffering of uncomfortable things. Many of those are things we would not readily choose, but Romans 11: 33 reminds us that, “His ways are past finding out”.
As Lord, we see Him sustaining Job and glorifying Himself (Job 42:1-5). The thing about lordship is that by its very nature, it requires all or none. So, we seek an answer to the age-old question: “Who are You, Lord?”
Dr. O.A. James
REFLECTION
Currently, how can we portray Jesus as LORD?