Born in Tarsus and named after Israel’s first king – who was also a Benjamite – Saul was an impressive young man (cf. Phil. 3:4-6; 1 Sam. 9:1-2). A natural-born Roman citizen who was as comfortable speaking Greek as he was Hebrew, Saul was uniquely positioned to move up in a world that gave precious few such opportunities (cf. Acts 21:37-40, 22:25-29). So, it says a lot that he chose to serve God, moving to Jerusalem to train as a Pharisee rabbi (cf. Acts 22:3). “Advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age,” Saul later recalled how he was “extremely zealous” (Gal. 1:14). That is why he supported Stephen’s execution and applied his own considerable talents to a personal campaign to persecute the Way “to the death” (cf. Acts 22:4, 20).
Convinced that he “ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth”, it is without irony that Luke noted Saul “went on his way” to find those “belonging to the Way” (Acts 26:9, 9:2-3 emp. added). The difference is crucial, though. Saul really believed he was serving God by killing Jesus’ disciples – but he was wrong (cf. John 16:2). Accordingly, Saul was knocked to the ground and blinded when it pleased God to reveal Jesus to him (cf. Acts 9:3-9, Gal. 1:15-16). It often takes something big to open our eyes and see that God’s Way is heading the other direction from us. Yet while it hurt to “kick against the goads”, Saul’s knowledge of the Scriptures and love for God made it so he was “not disobedient to the heavenly vision” (Acts 26:14, 19). Without waiting, he rose and was baptized, washing away his sins as he called on the Name he had just been persecuting (cf. Acts 9:6, 22:16).
Don’t mistake Saul’s decisiveness for ease, though: truly knowing Jesus meant discarding everything else (cf. Phil. 3:8). His past accomplishments now brought fear and persecution instead of respect (cf. Acts 9:13-14, 26-30). Eventually fleeing home to Tarsus – having failed to become an elite rabbi – can you imagine his dark, lonely nights as he preached Jesus in obscurity for the better part of a decade (cf. Acts 9:30, 11:25)? How was he plagued by guilt about his past, doubts about his worthiness, and weariness from his constant struggles (cf. 1 Cor. 15:9-10, 19; 2 Cor. 7:5)? Yet long after Saul left the road to Damascus, Jesus continued to light his Way. Even when he could not see it himself, Saul heard Jesus say He had a glorious purpose for him (cf. Acts 26:16-18). He kept sending people into Saul’s life – Ananias to restore his sight and baptize him, Barnabas to believe his story and introduce him to the apostles – at just the right moments (cf. Acts 9:17-19, 27). Eventually, the Way led Saul somewhere he never could have imagined. If we will join him on the Way, it can do the same for us.
Join us as we learn from the real people in Jerusalem, Antioch, and Ephesus how to truly follow “The Way, the Truth, and the Life” of Jesus Christ together!