Acts 22:11-16 – My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. 12 “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.
14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’
“My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.” How humbling and frightful it must have been for Saul to no longer be in control as he was led by the hand. Alone in his blindness, being led by men who had no idea what had happened or what was going to happen, must have been surreal. Ironically, Paul the physically blind was now being led by his companions, the spiritually blind (which he also had been). But now Jesus, the Light of World, (John 8:12) was in control and bringing Paul in to a future he would have never guessed was coming. These men who were leading blind Paul would later be needing Paul to lead them out of their blindness.
“A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.” Here there was no mention that before Ananias came to Paul the Lord Jesus had appeared to Ananias to instruct him to go and minister to Paul. (Acts 9:10-19) Ananias could hardly believe his ears that he was being instructed to go minister the man who was seeking to imprison, and even kill, people of The Way.
Aside from the Word, is it rare that God reveals future plans to us. Not that He does not, but that is rare. If God leads us to something then we ought to do it. We probably won’t know what God will bring out from what He has us do. Ananias was told that Paul was, not was going to be but was, a chosen instrument of the Lords, but he did not know the magnitude of the plans of the Lord for Paul. Trust God, obey Him and His Word, and enjoy watching God work! Praise God!
We notice how Paul told his audience that Ananias was a man who observed the law and was highly respected by the Jews living there. We can be sure that Paul added this to assure those present that his was a very Jewish story. He did not tell them that Ananias was also a believer, if he had, they may have listened no further. Some may call this deception, a better word would be wisdom. It was better for them to hear more of what he had to say.
Paul, at the time of his conversion, surely was amazed and wondered at all that was happening. He had been overwhelmed by the appearance of the Lord to him, he was blinded by the light, led by hand and was to wait for a man he did not know. The man, one of the followers of Jesus, prayed for Paul and his blindness was healed in a very physical, and spiritual way. The story is amazing! Think of how it sounded to these first century Jews, for whom it had been hundreds of years since they thought a prophet had spoken to them, before John the Baptist. At this point they were hanging on his every word.
““Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’” Family and Friends, let’s take a minute to digest what Paul was told. What if the Lord sent a messenger to tell you that the one true God, the God of all, had hand selected you know His will. Wait, to what, “know His will.” How jaw dropping an honor. How exciting and how scary! What an auspicious honor and how can one live up to that privilege? Wow! Would we want that? No one should say yes without knowing that this gift led Paul into many life threatening beatings and trials. He would be ostracized by his former associates for the knowledge he received. He would be beaten by them and they plotted to kill him. In the end, their persecution led to his beheading. Jesus said “If the world hates you, keep I mind that it hated me first.” (John 15:18) Jesus was warning His disciples that because of their relationship with Him, because of their carrying out their assigned ministries, they would largely be rejected by their own people and also largely by the world. Jesus said to all of us that if we are to follow Him we will need to deny ourselves and take up His cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23). Family, Jesus did not tell us that to follow Him was going to necessitate us taking up “a” cross but to take up “His” cross. His cross is essential to His message. It is a sign of His beautiful work and the horror that He went through for us. Yet He did not deter from His assignment but, in love, walked the straight path to the cross. If we love Him then we, as He, ought to walk the straight path He gives us and to do it from His love that lives within us.
Jesus not only said take up His cross and continue to advance it till He returns, but He said to do it daily. Yes, daily! And once we pick up that cross we are to never let it down. I remember as a child having the high honor of being on the flag team at Point Fermin Elementary School which I attended. We were taught to never, not ever, let the flag touch the ground. It touching the ground represented dishonor or defeat to our country. It is to be flown high and proud by a people who love and honor their country. To set it on the ground is to defame the country for which it stands. That is what we were taught. It was a great lesson! Now if we give such great honor to the flag that represents our country how much more so should we honor the cross, the symbol of the work of our Lord. He has honored us to carry His work forward. The United States is a land of the free and it is our responsibility to keep it so. The cross of Jesus that we carry forward is the symbol of being truly free and it is our responsibility, as assigned by God, to carry it forward with a knowledge of the great honor to do so. To do it daily and to do it whatever the cost. The cost is never greater than the honor of serving the Lord.
So those who have heard His Word, who have yield to Jesus and who love and serve Him have been washed in His blood, we have been baptized in His name, and we daily call on His name and seek His guidance for our day. Family, our cross, the cross of Christ, has weight, but we do not carry it alone. Carrying the cross comes with much responsibility and consequences, but we bear neither alone because He is always with us and helps and sustains us always. What an honor to call Jesus our Savior and Lord! What an honor to everyday carry His cross! What an honor to be known as His disciple. Thank you Lord! Praise and honor to You Lord! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”