The light was in the world, and the world came into being through the light, but the world didn’t recognize the light. The light came to his own people, and his own people didn’t welcome him.
Luke 1:10-11
About thirty years after the resurrection of Christ, an ardent Jewish scholar and Pharisee, was threatened by those who had become Christ followers. He didn’t want his people to be tempted by this new religion built around a man named Jesus. He did his best to weed out those rebels from the flock. Someone had to stop them, and he was dedicated to the cause. He was even present at the stoning of the apostle, Stephen.
His crusade against Christians was doing well until the day when Saul was blinded by a light that fell across his path. He was on the road to Damascus, on a mission to put some more of those Christians in jail. He couldn’t see a thing in the midst of the bright light, but he heard a voice that asked, “Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Saul didn’t know who was speaking to him, so he said, “Who are you?” The voice answered, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting.” Saul was bewildered and his friends had to lead him into Damascus because he couldn’t see. About that same time, another man, named Ananias heard the voice of Jesus in a vision. Jesus told him to go to the house of Judas on Straight Street where Saul was praying. Ananias was to heal Saul from blindness and baptize him in the Holy Spirit. For Ananias, this was a scary request, but he obeyed.
The thing about this story that is so amazing is that Saul was like a lot of us. He was walking around in the dark and didn’t even know his militant style of defending his faith, was not serving God at all. He simply couldn’t see the truth of Christ. The gift he received was Jesus and Jesus had a job for him to do. Saul was literally stopped in his pursuit and given a purpose that would change lives for eternity. Ananias already walked in the Light of Christ and so he trusted God’s voice. He healed Saul, despite his own fears.
Of course, we’d like to think we would say “yes” to God under any circumstances. Both Saul and Ananias listened to what God wanted them to do. Saul became known as Paul, the man who followed the crucified Jesus, sharing the gospel to anyone who would listen. His teachings live on in the words of several epistles and in the account of the early church. He saw the Light and nothing was ever the same again.
What about us? What more can we do to draw closer to the Light?
Easter is a good time to lean in and let His light shine through you.
Blessings to you, dear friends.