Read that again.  Jesus, Son of God, takes our hurt personally and rescues us.  We know He rescued us by taking the punishment for our sins that we deserve.  We know Jesus was beaten beyond recognition, spit on, mocked, and whipped with flesh tearing instruments of torture.  After the beatings and betrayals, He willingly laid down so that nails could be hammered through His body in ways that would hold Him on a cross until he died.  As Son of God, Jesus had legions (thousands) of angels He could have called to rescue Him as He rescued us.  But He did not.  His love, God’s love, held Him there until the debt was paid—this part of mission to save the world completed and finished.

However, God/Jesus/Holy Spirit are still at work.  God’s Holy Spirit is leading the apostles trained by Jesus along with all who follow Jesus to continue the work He began with authority from God given to them.  They preach Jesus, the risen from death to life Savior and Lord of all who believe—but not without opposition by the religious elite who had Jesus put to death.  The religious without a relationship with God thought they had fixed their problem with Jesus.  They have a devout, learned Jew who is driven, possessed, in his quest to rid the world of all the followers of Jesus.  His name is Saul.  He was a witness and cheerleader to the stoning of Stephen.  (Acts 7) These religious leaders murdered Stephen after declaring the glory of God in Jesus, His Son.  Saul watched over their coats of arrogant importance while the deed was done.

The Good News of the love of God demonstrated by Jesus who died and rose again so that we may live eternally is now spreading like wild fire on a dry and thirsty land!  Due to persecution, “missionaries” are leaving Jerusalem to the outlying towns to preach Jesus.  Saul is now a feared leader of a task force of torturous extremes as he hunts down all who believe in Jesus and follow in Teaching—The Way.

Jesus goes to the source of evil to rescue His people from this enemy.  He still does that for us today.

Acts 9, The Message

The Blinding of Saul

^1-2 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 Way, whether men or women, he could arrest them and bring them to Jerusalem.

^3-4 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?”

^5-6 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.”

^7-9 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.

¹⁰ There was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. The Master spoke to him in a vision: “Ananias.”

“Yes, Master?” he answered.

^11-12 “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.”

^13-14 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.”

^15-16 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.”

^17-19 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.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Notice what Jesus did not say;

“Saul, why are you doing this to people?”

“Saul, you should know better,” remember the commandment, “you shall not kill”? 

“Saul, what is wrong with you?”

Instead, Jesus makes it personal: “Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me?” 

When we sin, we not only hurt others, we are sinning against God.  God’s Number One command:  Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul is followed with His Number Two command:  Love each other like I love you.  Jesus said ALL other commanded laws begin with and are based on these two commands. It’s personal. 

Jesus knows.  Jesus loves.  Jesus helps those who follow Him.  What happens to us, happens to Jesus, too.  Whatever we do for others, we do for Jesus.  Good or bad.

‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’  Matthew 25:40-45, Jesus’ story of a King

When David was caught in adultery and then tried to cover it up with murder, his trusted spiritual advisor, led by God, called David out to deal with his sins.  The first words from David’s repentant heart, “I have sinned against the Lord.” (See 2 Samuel 12)

Forgiveness is very personal, too. Jesus taught us to pray, “Forgive us our sins AS we forgive others.”  Jesus solidified this truth with a follow up statement at the end: “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” –Jesus, Matthew 6:14-15, NIV

Consider the courage with obedience of Ananias!  He knew the reputation of Saul.  He feared Saul!  When the Lord of our lives says go, forgive, lay hands so Saul, so he can be healed, we understand Ananias’ first honest response: “Are you serious, Lord?”

The Master responds to his fear with assurance:“Don’t argue. Go! I have picked him as my personal representative to non-Jews and kings and Jews.”  Wait, what now?  YOUR personal representative? Ananias does not know what God has planned for Saul who will be transformed from the inside out to Paul, the Apostle who will risk his life daily to preach Jesus to the non-Jews and begin churches all over the known world.

So, Ananias went.  There is a lot packed into these three words.  Pause and thank God for Ananias’ obedience.  Thank Jesus for stepping in to reverse what Saul was thinking and doing.

PERSONAL REFLECTION:

When I say or do mean things to others do I realize I’m saying or doing them to Jesus?

When I hide or mislead truth, am I really sinning against God?

When God says go; but I refuse to go to the hard places and forgive those who hurt me and others, am I hurting the One I call the Lord of my life?

Do any of my excuses hold up in the throne room of God?

When we say Jesus is our “personal Savior”, it seems an understatement of His love, care, protection and provision! 

Oh Lord,

Life with you is so very personal and rewarding, challenging and convicting, comforting and encouraging—all at the same time.  I’m learning that this is part of our growing relationship that is intimate, loving, and full of your mercy and grace.  Thank you, Lord.

In Jesus Name, Amen