EPIPHANY IV

January 30, 2022

“Seeing The Light”          

These winter weeks of Epiphany are more than just an arbitrarily designated block of time between Christmas and Lent.  The season continues to celebrate the revelation of Christ as the Savior of the world, as the word epiphany means “to show, or to make known.”  How fitting, then, that January 25 is set aside to commemorate the conversion of Paul.  It might seem unusual to highlight the conversion of one individual, because, after all, the original twelve disciples, as well as early leaders and believers were all converts, brought together through faith in Christ.     

The Book of Acts describes the work of the apostles as they traveled throughout the region preaching, teaching and establishing congregations.  All did not proceed smoothly, however, as these early evangelists were viewed as a threat to the authority of the priests and synagogue leaders, as well as secular governing bodies.  Both leaders and new believers were at considerable personal risk, facing imprisonment, beatings, and even death.        

Into these turbulent times, Saul arrives on the scene, a devout and educated Jew who had made it his mission to eradicate those he considered heretics.  We first learn of him at the death of Stephen, an early apostle, who was stoned with Saul’s approval.  A severe persecution of Christians in Jerusalem began,“Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison.”  (Acts 8:3)     

Saul then obtained authorization to hunt down and arrest Christians in Damascus and the surrounding area.  He set off with a few companions, and as they approached the city, he was struck by a blinding light, and he heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”  He asked, “Who are you, Lord?  The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”  (Acts 9:4b-5)       

Blind for three days, and probably in shock, Saul was led to Damascus, where Ananias, a leader among the Christians in Damascus visits him.  His sight is restored, and within a few days he is baptized and goes off to witness and proclaim Jesus in the synagogues.  Naturally, many who heard him were skeptical of such an about-face, assuming this was a ruse to get inside the Christian communities so as to identify and arrest the members.       

But Saul, soon called Paul, never wavered in his dedication to spreading the Gospel of Christ, and enduring persecution and imprisonment, he continued to write and encourage others.  His letters to the churches of Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, Thessalonica, as well as to his closest disciples, have enlightened and inspired Christians from ancient times to the present.     

So how does this story resonate with us today?  It’s challenging to comprehend how someone can be so profoundly affected that he completely changes his whole belief system.  Saul was determined to eliminate what he saw as a threat to the established church, but God turned all that energy and ability toward spreading the Gospel.  God’s power can turn his fiercest opponent into his greatest advocate. God will lead (or push!) us in the direction he wants us to go, and with open hearts and minds, trusting in him, we will fulfill his purpose. 

Keeping my eyes and ears open, 

Your friend in Christ,   

Mary Rogers