Hope in God’s Mercy
For Meditation
This week we’ll be looking at how Saul’s encounter with the resurrected Jesus began a work of transformation in him that he never would have imagined. (Later in Acts Saul stops using his Hebrew name and uses his Roman name, Paul, as his ministry spreads to the Gentiles throughout the Roman Empire.)
On Easter Sunday Corey spoke about the three ways the resurrection of Jesus transformed the disciples. The first way was that the resurrection changed their minds and reoriented their thinking. We’ll see a similar transformation in Saul. His encounter with the risen Jesus is a mind-blowing experience of God’s mercy – God extends mercy to the one who is persecuting not only God’s people but Israel’s true Messiah and, by extension, the very God Saul believes he is serving. We can only imagine how shocking this must have been for Saul.
In a touching scene God also extends mercy toward Saul through Ananias, as Ananias welcomes Saul, calling him brother, lays hands on him and prays for Saul’s sight to be restored. What a beautiful picture of the way we can extend mercy to one another.
Our experiences of God’s mercy, both directly through the power of God’s Spirit and through the expressions of love and care of our fellow-believers will transform our understanding of God’s mercy that he has shown us in raising Jesus from the dead. As it did with Saul, this new understanding will compel and empower us to extend that same mercy to others.
Acts 9:1–19
1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 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. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 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. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered.
11 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. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
15 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. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
17 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.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.