Tuesday, November 10, 2026

Opening Scripture

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:3-10

Opening Prayer

Gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for rest and the promise of a new day. I praise You for Your loving kindness, Your thoughtful provision, and Your comforting presence. Help my hope and security be in You today, not in what I do, or what I have, or what others think. May Your Spirit guide me in the way I should go. Help me to appreciate Your blessings and see You at work around me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

Acts 9:1-31

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”

“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord – Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here – has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.

After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.

When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him. When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

Reflection  

After the turmoil of the persecution in Jerusalem triggered the second phase of Jesus’ Acts 1:8 prophetic commission – the scattering of Greek-speaking Jewish Christians throughout Judea and Samaria, the confirmation by Peter and John, and the shocking conversion of Saul, “the church enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened.” It was a sort of “reset” before the next movement.

To this point, Luke has introduced and followed the lives of several prominent characters. The apostle Peter was the primary focus of the first five chapters, followed by deacons Stephen and Philip. Now Luke picks up the story of Saul of Tarsus, whose life factors heavily, not just in the rest of Acts, but the whole history of Christianity.

The dramatic conversion of this zealous Church-oppressor – from champion of the Old Covenant to champion of the New Covenant – is profound. That encounter is often referred to in connection with other spectacular salvation stories as a “Damascus Road Experience.” Clearly, God intervened in a dazzling way to get Saul’s attention and redirect the course of his life.

For Luke, the importance of Saul’s radical conversion – from Christianity’s chief persecutor to chief proponent – is evidenced by his sharing the story three times in Acts. God’s transformation of Saul’s life made him both a powerful witness and a high-profile target. He quickly went from persecutor to persecuted.

God clearly states to Ananias what His plan is for Saul. “This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

Saul embraced that mission, later declaring, “God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles” (Galatians 1:15-16).

The intensity of Saul’s hatred of Christians on his way to Damascus – “breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples” – highlights his instantaneous shift to the opposite position as he “baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.” It did not take long for those baffled Jews to decide Saul needed to die. Realizing it was time to go, Saul snuck out of town and headed for Jerusalem.

Of course, Saul’s reputation was well established in the Holy City. Not surprisingly, the apostles were afraid of Saul and refused to meet with him. Good ol’ Barnabas came to Saul’s defense and vouched for him. The apostles relented and Saul immediately began “speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.” Just as in Damascus when he debated the Hellenistic Jews, they tried to kill him. It was time to head home to Tarsus.

Flourishing Habit

Flourishing Christians

It seems the first-century Jews along the eastern Mediterranean were quick to kill in defense of their faith. Unfortunately, there are plenty of religious “zealots” today who are still eager to so. While history contains examples of Christians also killing others to “defend their faith,” more often, Jesus’ followers have died for their faith.

Interestingly, it was the “Hellenistic Jews” – those with Greek language and cultural background – who most want to kill the early Christians. The zeal of converts frequently surpasses those who inherit or are born into a religion.

Not content to simply persecute the Church in Jerusalem, Saul secured introductory letters from the Sanhedrin to the synagogues in Damascus, requesting their support in his efforts to apprehend Christians who had fled there and return them for trial, where he would no doubt vote for the death penalty. As a result, Saul later referred to himself as “the least of the apostles” (Opening Scripture).

The Gospel truly is transformative. It is not how you start, but how you finish that matters!

This week’s collective prayer: Lord, deepen my love for all people. Amen.

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!