“And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.”
(Acts 26:15, ESV)
(Acts 26:15, ESV)
A good Christian man was at work when his boss came up to him looking rather upset. David smiled as the boss walked over, saying; “Hey, Karl, looks like you aren’t having the best day. Can I help?”
Karl looked David straight in the eye and said, “Did you close last night?”
“Yes, sure did!” responded David.
With eyes burning, Karl answered, “You messed that up, Dave. A machine was left on in a stalled position. Today, its toast. The motor is burned up. AND, during the night, the smoke alarm went off because the motor was left stalled. It’s a freaking five-thousand-dollar machine! How could you not have seen the warning light on the front of the machine when you locked up and shut off the lights?!!!”
David was upset at himself for the oversight. However, later that day, David found out that the new guy, who had stalled the machine, left the motor on in that dangerous condition while he went to ask for help but became distracted and forgot about the problem. David was upset that he got the blame for something the new guy messed up. For days, David fumed. And, when he told Karl about the mix-up, Karl remined Dave that it was still his fault that he didn’t check everything over when he locked up. Karl even wrote up Dave for the error and chastised him in front of the other workers at a team meeting.
David was bothered for weeks over what happened. He was a good man, trustworthy and honest. He didn’t deserve to be dragged through the mud like this. He complained to God in his prayers how it was all unfair.
Two years later, David was at an important church meeting. During the meeting, the chairperson railed on the pastor for being late to the meeting. David said nothing, thinking, “I sure am glad I’m not the pastor! Boy he endured their wrath. I wish they wouldn’t be so hard on him, but I’m not saying a word and getting them mad at me!” At the very moment David thought this, God put in his mind a memory of the day he was chastised wrongly at work. Immediately, David felt guilty for not sticking up for the pastor. David found out later that month that the reason why the Pastor was late was because he was at a private meeting with a person who was dying. The dying person didn’t want anyone to know. The pastor endured the wrath of the committee chairperson for no good reason. It made David feel all the sorrier for his silence. In his mind, David could hear God telling him all over again that he was a hypocrite. God brought to his mind that even Jesus was innocent when he was put on the cross and that David should know better than to let another innocent man suffer wrongly.
Have you ever been critical of a person for no good reason? Have you ever let your emotions overpower your thinking and regretted your words or actions? It is so easy to sin, to make a mess of things, or let your emotions take you down a wrong path filled with anger or resentment or jealousy. Sometimes, even faithful people can go against God without even being aware of the sinfulness involved.
Aaron and Miriam wrongfully criticized Moses’ leadership. They did not at first understand how this went against the will of God. Balaam, the prophet, was motivated by greed to speak out against God’s chosen ones. He didn’t know about it until a donkey explained his sin when an angel of death showed up! Peter denied Jesus three times. But it wasn’t until the cock crowed that he realized his failure. Religious people, good people, faithful people may not realize for a time when they sin or go against the will of God. At moments, this may include you!
Our scripture for today comes near the end of the story of Saul’s conversion. Saul, who was a very religious Jew, considered Christians to be sinful. Saul was convinced that Jesus was not the Son of God. Then, on the way to persecute more Christians, Saul was struck blind. At the very moment blindness overcame him, Saul heard a voice mixed in with thunder. He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The response Saul received changed his life, for Jesus responded back, saying, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.” (Acts 26:15). Just then, Saul became aware that he was wrongfully killing Christians and attacking the name of Jesus. Saul was shaken to the core. Jesus was alive and resurrected! Saul had been so very wrong.
While Saul thought he was acting faithfully and biblically, he was not. Though Saul believed he was in the right, he was woefully wrong! Saul’s hypocrisy was apparent. Saul’s sin was grievous. Worst of all, this whole while Saul was completely clueless to his own sin!
Good people can make very bad choices. Faithful people can have faithless or hypocritical responses. Don’t be surprised if at critical points in your life Jesus comes to correct you. Don’t be caught thinking you are above being a hypocrite or too good to fall into a terrible cycle of sin.
Saul was blind to his own errors. Jesus caused him to lose his sight to be able to comprehend his failure. God may resort to the same with you. In order to save you, God may have to cause big upheavals in your life to help you see your own failures. God may allow you to mess up in order to help you see the wrong road you’ve taken. Jesus may humble you in order to correct you. The Holy Spirit may drown you in guilt for you to feel the pain you wrongfully caused another. Sin can blind the best of people, even you.
Are there some mistaken thoughts or beliefs that are eating away at your soul? Have you been hypocritical in your thinking? Have you recently gone against the will of Jesus without being aware of it? A healthy soul never fails to look for blind-spots to sin or holes in one’s thinking.
Karl looked David straight in the eye and said, “Did you close last night?”
“Yes, sure did!” responded David.
With eyes burning, Karl answered, “You messed that up, Dave. A machine was left on in a stalled position. Today, its toast. The motor is burned up. AND, during the night, the smoke alarm went off because the motor was left stalled. It’s a freaking five-thousand-dollar machine! How could you not have seen the warning light on the front of the machine when you locked up and shut off the lights?!!!”
David was upset at himself for the oversight. However, later that day, David found out that the new guy, who had stalled the machine, left the motor on in that dangerous condition while he went to ask for help but became distracted and forgot about the problem. David was upset that he got the blame for something the new guy messed up. For days, David fumed. And, when he told Karl about the mix-up, Karl remined Dave that it was still his fault that he didn’t check everything over when he locked up. Karl even wrote up Dave for the error and chastised him in front of the other workers at a team meeting.
David was bothered for weeks over what happened. He was a good man, trustworthy and honest. He didn’t deserve to be dragged through the mud like this. He complained to God in his prayers how it was all unfair.
Two years later, David was at an important church meeting. During the meeting, the chairperson railed on the pastor for being late to the meeting. David said nothing, thinking, “I sure am glad I’m not the pastor! Boy he endured their wrath. I wish they wouldn’t be so hard on him, but I’m not saying a word and getting them mad at me!” At the very moment David thought this, God put in his mind a memory of the day he was chastised wrongly at work. Immediately, David felt guilty for not sticking up for the pastor. David found out later that month that the reason why the Pastor was late was because he was at a private meeting with a person who was dying. The dying person didn’t want anyone to know. The pastor endured the wrath of the committee chairperson for no good reason. It made David feel all the sorrier for his silence. In his mind, David could hear God telling him all over again that he was a hypocrite. God brought to his mind that even Jesus was innocent when he was put on the cross and that David should know better than to let another innocent man suffer wrongly.
Have you ever been critical of a person for no good reason? Have you ever let your emotions overpower your thinking and regretted your words or actions? It is so easy to sin, to make a mess of things, or let your emotions take you down a wrong path filled with anger or resentment or jealousy. Sometimes, even faithful people can go against God without even being aware of the sinfulness involved.
Aaron and Miriam wrongfully criticized Moses’ leadership. They did not at first understand how this went against the will of God. Balaam, the prophet, was motivated by greed to speak out against God’s chosen ones. He didn’t know about it until a donkey explained his sin when an angel of death showed up! Peter denied Jesus three times. But it wasn’t until the cock crowed that he realized his failure. Religious people, good people, faithful people may not realize for a time when they sin or go against the will of God. At moments, this may include you!
Our scripture for today comes near the end of the story of Saul’s conversion. Saul, who was a very religious Jew, considered Christians to be sinful. Saul was convinced that Jesus was not the Son of God. Then, on the way to persecute more Christians, Saul was struck blind. At the very moment blindness overcame him, Saul heard a voice mixed in with thunder. He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The response Saul received changed his life, for Jesus responded back, saying, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.” (Acts 26:15). Just then, Saul became aware that he was wrongfully killing Christians and attacking the name of Jesus. Saul was shaken to the core. Jesus was alive and resurrected! Saul had been so very wrong.
While Saul thought he was acting faithfully and biblically, he was not. Though Saul believed he was in the right, he was woefully wrong! Saul’s hypocrisy was apparent. Saul’s sin was grievous. Worst of all, this whole while Saul was completely clueless to his own sin!
Good people can make very bad choices. Faithful people can have faithless or hypocritical responses. Don’t be surprised if at critical points in your life Jesus comes to correct you. Don’t be caught thinking you are above being a hypocrite or too good to fall into a terrible cycle of sin.
Saul was blind to his own errors. Jesus caused him to lose his sight to be able to comprehend his failure. God may resort to the same with you. In order to save you, God may have to cause big upheavals in your life to help you see your own failures. God may allow you to mess up in order to help you see the wrong road you’ve taken. Jesus may humble you in order to correct you. The Holy Spirit may drown you in guilt for you to feel the pain you wrongfully caused another. Sin can blind the best of people, even you.
Are there some mistaken thoughts or beliefs that are eating away at your soul? Have you been hypocritical in your thinking? Have you recently gone against the will of Jesus without being aware of it? A healthy soul never fails to look for blind-spots to sin or holes in one’s thinking.