Finding the Way ~ A Story of the Apostle Paul/Saul
The story of Saul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus is a key event in the history of the early church. Saul is so changed by the experience that he changes his name to Paul. He goes on to become one of the greatest teachers of The Way, as Christianity was known, teaching about Jesus – not only to the Jews, but to the people he once hated the most: the Gentiles, the non-Jews. So what happened to him on that road? Is it possible for a person to change so completely in an instant? Rather than preach on Saul’s change of heart, I thought that we would put it into dramatic form, so that you could enter the story more deeply. We have for you a conversation between Saul, as he was first known, and the wife of Ananias – the man whom God commanded to teach Saul about Jesus. As you listen to them, think about how your experiences in life and as a follower of Jesus are both similar to, and different from, their experiences. Where and how has God moved in your life in the past; and where and how might God be trying to move in your life today?
(Saul is turned away from Naomi as she enters)
Naomi: Oh, it's you. (does not sound happy)
Saul: (turning) Hello, I'm Saul of Tarsus. Who do I have the pleasure of greeting?
Naomi: I'm Ananias' wife, Naomi. (Turns to leave)
Saul: Please wait, my lady! I've been hoping to meet you so I could express my gratitude. It was so kind of you to take me in.
Naomi: It wasn't my idea, trust me.
Saul: I can only imagine how difficult it must be for you to have me in your home. My reputation is not good among the followers of the Way.
Naomi: They're terrified of you, and with good reason. You're responsible for throwing so many of them in prison and then when you had Stephen stoned . . . I can't even talk about that. He was a guest in our home, such a nice young man. And you had him killed.
Saul: I was so wrong, so mistaken about many things.
Naomi: Mistaken?! You're a murderer. Ananias may believe that God wants him to look after you and teach you, but I want nothing to do with you.
Saul: I agree. I want nothing to do with me either. But somehow it seems that this Jesus does want something to do with me even though it makes no sense.
Naomi: It certainly doesn't. I don't understand how anyone could want a violent murderer among them and I definitely don't understand this whole Jesus thing, this following the “Way.”
Paul: You're not a follower of Jesus yourself?
Naomi: No. Thank goodness Ananias isn't like other men who insist that their whole household be baptized. He discovered Jesus last year when some men from Galilee were visiting. He was fascinated by what they said about Jesus and his teachings.
Saul: I have to say, I'm fascinated by them myself.
Naomi: But a week ago you hated Jesus and everyone who followed him. What's changed?
Saul: I suppose you could say I have changed. You have to understand, I was raised to be a Pharisee, a teacher and defender of the Jewish law. When I heard about these followers of Jesus who were perverting the law and teachings of our faith, I felt it was my role to attack them and stop them. I was so sure of myself, so arrogant. I saw myself as better than everyone else because I was doing God's work.
And then I travelled that road to Damascus.
Naomi: What happened there? Ananias won't talk about it, he's says it's your story to tell, not his.
Saul: What happened? God literally stopped me in my tracks, that's what happened. We were nearing the city when I was surrounded by a bright light, so powerful that it threw me to the ground. I heard a voice say, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
I couldn't comprehend what was happening or who was speaking to me, but clearly it was someone of authority, so I asked, “Who are you, Lord?”
The voice said, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. Get up and enter the city and you will be told what you are to do.”
The light vanished and I could see nothing, I was completely blind and felt weak, I could hardly stand. I, the powerful Saul, had to be led by the hand into the city, like a small child.
Naomi: That's amazing. It's like something that happened in the scriptures with the prophets. But has God actually told you what you are to do?
Saul: Not really. I'm just learning more about Jesus for now. He's quite incredible, you know. His teachings on love and forgiveness? They're so insightful and powerful.
I couldn't understand how Ananias could help me after all I had done to his fellow followers of the Way. Any other person would have refused to even come see me, let alone help me recover from my blindness. But ---
Naomi: (interrupting) It still makes no sense to me. Ananias was terrified when God first asked him to go to you. We both thought you would kill him. Then he came back from seeing you and said you had changed and that you were coming here to stay with us.
I was so angry I didn't speak to him for three days. How could he be so kind to you after all the terrible things you did?
Saul: It makes no sense to me either, my lady. I don't deserve such kindness. But Ananias says he did it because of Jesus. Jesus didn't just teach about love and forgiveness, he lived it. Did you know that Jesus forgave the people who crucified him? Ananias said that if Jesus could forgive them, surely he could forgive me.
Naomi: Maybe, but isn't Jesus supposed to be God? Or at least the Messiah? So it would be easier for him to forgive people than it is for us regular folks.
Saul: I think that somehow he's both like us and not like us. But the most amazing thing is that through Jesus we're all brought closer to God. And through him we can begin again, we're forgiven and washed clean no matter what we've done.
Naomi: So it doesn't matter that you threw people in prison and even had some killed? It's all washed away like it never happened?
Saul: No, not like it never happened, but those terrible things won't define me forever. I know I'll never be perfect, but I also know I will never do things like that again. I can feel God with me, guiding me, in ways I never felt before. It's as if before this my faith was in my head and now it's in my heart. That experience on the road to Damascus changed me profoundly.
Naomi: So you're a different person now?
Saul: Yes and no. I'm still me, still stubborn, passionate Saul of Tarsus, but I feel like God can work through me in new ways. That maybe my old sins and weaknesses can be used in new ways for something good. Ananias even says that God is going to use me for a special task.
Naomi: I suppose you're like so many of the heroes in our scriptures. None of them were perfect either, were they. Jacob was a trickster, Moses was reluctant, David was an adulterer – the list goes on. They were all broken vessels but somehow God used them to do good.
Saul: Yes, that's it! We're all broken vessels and I'm the most broken of all, but God has shown me the error of my ways and given me another chance.
Naomi: But what if God asks you to do something that goes against everything you believe? What if God asks you to, I don't know, preach about Jesus to the Gentiles, like some of the believers are doing?
Saul: Preach about Jesus to non-Jews? That's crazy! But, but, maybe it's not so crazy. If God can turn around the life and heart a murdering, self righteous Pharisee, then maybe God can work in and through Gentiles too.
Naomi: You're pretty convincing, you know. I walked into this room hating you and how you've created such chaos in my household, and now you've got me thinking about Jesus in new ways.
Saul: I have? But I know so little about him.
Naomi: True, but what you know comes from the heart. It's obvious in listening to you that you have been changed by your encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus.
I didn't want to listen to Ananias talk about Jesus because his decision to follow Jesus turned our lives upside down and shook everything I knew. I was angry at him for disturbing our comfortable lives and challenging my familiar faith.
But talking to you is different. Now I'm starting see where Jesus' teachings make sense and could help me and our world. Maybe I've been too rigid in the way I see the world and God.
Saul: That's wonderful! Do you want to be baptized? You could be my first convert!
Naomi: Not so fast! I'm not like you. Some people have sudden revelations and completely change their lives in a moment, for others it's an ongoing process. You've helped me make a huge shift in my understanding of God and life. Now I need to sit with that for awhile.
Saul: If I'm going to teach people about Jesus, especially non-Jews, I guess I had better get used to accepting different points of view and different ways of coming to know God and Jesus.
It truly is a unique path for each one of us, isn't it.
Naomi: It is indeed, Saul, but I have the feeling you are going to help many people on their journey with your passionate faith and teaching