Experience: S2 - Day 8

The risk of taking a new path

Acts 9:1 Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. 2 He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.

We already know Saul’s pedigree, as we studied some of it in our last series from Philippians:

“…Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.” Philippians 3:4-6 NLT

I’m sure many, including the young Saul, considered him the GOAT (greatest of all time) of the Torah.  Not only was he all these things, he was taught by one of their day's most respected and revered teachers, Gamaliel.  Saul was so sure his way was the right way he was willing to persecute, even kill, those who disagreed with him.

The picture of Saul here starkly contrasts that of Stephen from the previous chapter.  Whereas Stephen is gracious and powerful, with the face of an angel, Saul is uttering threats and eager to kill.  Reminds me of something a teacher once said, “…by their fruit, that is, by the way they act… A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.” Matthew 7:16a, 18 NLT

From the perspective of the gospel, Saul was bad fruit, and left a wake of destruction wherever he went.  But to be fair, Saul did so because he was deeply convinced that his way was the right way, and he was willing to risk his life to protect it.

But what if he was wrong?  What if his way wasn’t the Way at all?  What if Saul could become just as passionate for a different cause, one driven by love instead of fear?  Man, wouldn’t that be something?

Questions:

1. Have you ever done something based on the belief that you were 100% right, only to find out later that you were not 100% right? What happened?
2. How do you think Saul was able to justify breaking the law (for example, do not murder) to protect his cause?
3. Knowing what happens to Saul, can you see God’s sense of humor in choosing the most unlikely person to do the most unlikely of things?  Has he ever asked you to do something you were sure you could not or that He had chosen wrong?