A Relentless Pursuit of God

Acts 9:1-20

Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" 5He asked, "Who are you, Lord?" The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do."7The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. 8Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so, they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

10Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." He answered, "Here I am, Lord." 11The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, 12and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight." 13But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; 14and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name." 15But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; 16I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." 17So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized,19and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, 20and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God."

         Today, we explore a profound and transformative encounter—an encounter that not only changed the course of one man's life but also the trajectory of the early church and, indeed, the world. Our scripture passage comes from Acts 9:1-20, where we witness the dramatic conversion of Saul of Tarsus, a man vehemently opposed to the followers of Jesus. This narrative serves as a powerful reminder of God's ability to reach even the most unlikely individuals and to transform hearts that seem impervious to His grace.

         The story begins with Saul, a zealous Pharisee, breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord (Acts 9:1). Saul's life was marked by a passionate commitment to the Law, yet he was blind to the truth of the Gospel. In his pursuit of righteousness, he became a persecutor of the very people he sought to protect. Saul was pursuing a corrupted definition of righteousness. Much too often, we like Saul, find ourselves pursuing our own definitions of righteousness, completely missing the divine invitation to meet the Lord.

         Consider the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:21-23, where He warns, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.” How sobering it is to realize that one can be fervent in religious activity yet entirely miss the heart of God! Saul’s encounter on the road to Damascus is a cautionary tale for us all: God is relentless in His pursuit of us, even when we are running in the opposite direction. Sometimes we must stop and take the blinders off to see God’s intention for us.

         As Saul journeyed, a bright light from heaven suddenly enveloped him, and he fell to the ground (Acts 9:3). This moment of divine intervention is pivotal. It is here that Saul hears the voice of Jesus asking, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4). This question is laden with theological significance; it reveals the intimate connection between Christ and His church. To persecute believers is to persecute Christ Himself.

         In our own lives, we may not experience such a dramatic encounter, but the Lord calls us to moments of reflection and revelation. As C.S. Lewis articulates in Mere Christianity, “The Christian way is different: harder, and easier. Christ says “Give me All. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. I don’t want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out. Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked—the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.” (Lewis)

         As we reflect on Saul's encounter with Christ and the call for total surrender, I ask you: Have you considered your role in Christ’s mission? Is your pursuit of Christ genuine and trusting, or is it a blindly relentless? Or upon personal reflection, is it non-existent? Are you holding you back from fully committing your life to Christ and actively serving Him? What fears, doubts, or reservations do you need to lay down at His feet today to embrace the new life He offers you? Can you examine your personal barriers and surrender them? Christ encourages us all to consider how we can actively participate in the life of the church, embodying His transformative power in our daily actions.

         Following Saul’s encounter, God sends Ananias, a disciple, to minister to him (Acts 9:10-12). Ananias was hesitant, aware of Saul’s reputation as a persecutor. Yet, he obeyed God’s command, demonstrating the importance of faith and obedience in the face of fear. Ananias’s willingness to embrace Saul, to lay hands on him, and to pray for him exemplifies the love and grace we are called to extend to others, even to those we might consider enemies. This the literal application of discipleship. Ananias new for him to follow Christ, the road may be dangerous, the mission may be costly, but the reward is always to God’s glory and the furtherment of God’s kingdom.

         In The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer gives us the fundamental importance of discipleship to Christ. He writes, “Discipleship means adherence to Christ, and, because Christ is the object of that adherence, it must take the form of discipleship. An abstract Christology, a doctrinal system, a general religious knowledge on the subject of grace or on the forgiveness of sins, render discipleship superfluous, and in fact they positively exclude any idea of discipleship whatever, and are essentially inimical [opposed] to the whole conception of following Christ. With an abstract idea it is possible to enter into a relation of formal knowledge, to become enthusiastic about it, and perhaps even to put it into practice; but it can never be followed in personal obedience. Christianity without the living Christ is inevitably Christianity without discipleship, and Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ. It remains an abstract idea, a myth which has a place for the Fatherhood of God but omits Christ as the living Son. And a Christianity of that kind is nothing more or less than the end of discipleship. (Bonhoeffer) We are called not only to meet the Lord ourselves but also to be conduits of His grace to others. Who in your life is God calling you to reach out to, even if it stretches your comfort zone? What is it you have heard Christ say to you in the still hours of the night but have ignored in the light of day? Will you be obedient like Ananias, or will it take a blinding vision as it did Saul?

         As Ananias prayed, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he regained his sight (Acts 9:18). This physical healing is a visual metaphor for spiritual awakening. (Pun intended ) Saul, once blind to the truth, now sees clearly. His transformation is not merely a change of heart; it is a complete reorientation of his life’s mission. He goes from persecutor to proclaimer, from enemy to evangelist. This encounter forced him to reevaluate his life’s purpose, because in his relentless pursuit of God’s Law and the traditions of his ancestors, Saul, now Paul, understands what it means to seek a personal relationship with the divine, with Jesus Christ.

         This transformation is echoed in 2 Corinthians 5:17, where Paul later writes, “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being!” Brothers and sisters, the same transformative power that changed Saul is available to us today. No matter our past, we can meet the Lord and become new creations in Him. Hallelujah! Pass the plate! 

         As we reflect on Saul's conversion, let us ask ourselves: How is God calling us to meet Him today? Are we willing to lay down our preconceived notions, our fears, and our hesitations to embrace the fullness of His grace? The Lord is inviting each one of us into a deeper relationship with Him, one that compels us to live out our faith boldly in our daily lives. I challenge you this week to seek opportunities to meet the Lord in prayer, in His Word, and in fellowship with one another. Extend grace to those around you, especially to those who may seem far from God. Let us be like Ananias, willing to step out in faith and love, trusting that God can transform lives—even our own.

In closing, may we heed the call to follow Christ wholeheartedly. Let us go forth, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, the one who transforms lives and offers hope to the hopeless. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. AMEN.

Bibliography

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Descipleship. p.59 New York: Touchstone, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, 1995.Kindle Ed.

Lewis, C. S. Mere Christianity. Kindle. Horizon Ridge Publishing, n.d. p.182. Kindle Ed.

NIV Study Bible. Grand rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011.

"NRSVue." NRSVue Holy Bible with Deuterocanonical/Apocryphal Books of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2022.

Powery, Emerson B., et al., The Westminster Study Bible. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2024.