Morning Message: May 20

St. Paul believed in Jesus completely after his experience with the Risen Christ and became a great Christian teacher and writer.  This was a conversion experience; that is, it changed Paul and he acted differently.

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.  Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.  He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”  He asked, “Who are you, Lord?”  The replay came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.  But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”  Saul 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.  For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Think about this silently in your heart.  Who or what has helped convert you; that is, helped you change to be a better person?

When this story takes place, the church was still very young.  It hadn't been that long since Jesus had gone back up to heaven.  The once timid disciples were preaching boldly about who Jesus was and how salvation came only through him. The church grew very quickly.

The religious leaders didn't believe and they wanted to put a stop to this new church.  One of the people who wanted to put a stop to this new church, arrest the Christians, and even kill them was a man named Saul.

Considering Saul's hatred of the Christians, he seems an unlikely person to become a missionary for Jesus. But with God all things are possible. God changes lives and he changed Saul's life on that road to Damascus.

In the conversion of Saul, O Lord Jesus, we see the power of your grace.  Help us to remember that no one is beyond your care or your healing power.  May St. Paul be an example for us of how to honor you, who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.