Saul Encounters Jesus—Acts 9:1-31

              I often times think the Acts of the Apostles should be re-named the Acts of the Holy Spirit, as so much of the book is the Apostles catching up to what the Holy Spirit is already doing.

Another name that might be appropriate is to call it a Book of Baptisms. From the opening lines, reminding us of the Baptism of John, to the famed baptism of the Ethiopian Eunuch, to John the Baptist’s followers baptized with the Holy Spirit, to the thrice told story of Paul/Saul’s Baptism, baptism is a clear concern of the book.

              Saul encounters the Living Christ, his sins—the ongoing persecution of the faithful—are named by Jesus and then by Ananias. The magnitude of his missteps is manifest before him, before his eyesight is taken from him. His violent acts of suppression were not only done against a group of people, but also against the very chosen one of God! Saul is then cut down to size, forced to rely on a member of the messianic group he had persecuted. He is healed and baptized, joining this group and in so doing, becoming one with the One who he encountered on the Damascus Way. From there he goes and confesses his faith to those who he was once allied with, and the whole of the Church rejoices in it.

              So the story goes, but let’s think more deeply about its particulars. Sometimes confession and forgiveness can feel perfunctory—turn to page 77 in the Green Book—but Paul’s sins are named clearly. Violence, opposition to God’s work in the world! Truly these are deep and dangerous actions, he needs to find his way to shore quickly, he needs to turn around immediately! And that is what the remainder of his life is, one big turnaround; he is rushing at the same pace he was persecuting, but now proclaiming!

              His baptism is entering into the life of the Christian community and becoming one with Jesus Christ! One with the one he opposed and one with the people he persecuted. There is a humiliation in that, and yet, I think proud Paul/Saul finds his way into humility—that’s what I get out of his use of the famed Christ Hymn in Philippians and his talk of foolishness in 1^st Corinthians. Those are in their own way Baptism texts, Paul wrestling with becoming one with the one who died on a cross, living a “cruciform” life as the Theologians might say, a whole life transformed by that confrontation with a cursed Christ, blessed by being baptized into the wounded side of Jesus!

              And this is something the Church can celebrate and continues to give thanks for. The one who ravaged has returned to his right mind and now raves about love. The one who dragged siblings of the faith from their homes now relies on Ananias and the Spirit and supped with him! The one who sought to tear down the church now builds it up! Whenever such changes happen (many much less dramatic, at least to the outside observer) we can rejoice! We can celebrate! We can thank God that God is faithful and will not forget us!