Day 17

Readings and Thoughts for Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Acts 9:19-22 Saul Preaches in Damascus

A few thoughts about the changes Saul must undergo in this conversion process. He begins, before his conversion, in a mood of power, control, and total self-assurance. He is a leader. He is on top of the world. Suddenly he is on the ground. He cannot see. He has to be lead by the hand. He is too weak to eat for three days. Ananias, a stranger, an enemy, has to come and help him to see again. Saul has gone from a man of complete independence to complete dependence. After the scales fall from his eyes, Saul is with the disciples in Damascus – the very people he had planned to imprison. He preaches and shares his story, but they are also teaching him, encouraging him, providing shelter for him.

In our time, we think of conversion as something very personal, very private. “It’s between me and God.” But this view is not Biblical. Biblically, you are not just converted to a belief, you are converted to a community. There is no baptism separate from membership in the church; one act implies and assumes the other. William Willimon notes that Saul could become a Christian with God’s help alone, but to remain a Christian he had to be part of a Community.

What do you need to sustain your faith? Who helps you? For whom do you have a role in sustaining their faith?

Acts 9:23-25 Saul Escapes from the Jews

Conversion does not just change Saul’s opinions or beliefs, it changes his entire station in life. The one who was persecuting is now being persecuted himself. We tend to think of Christian faith as a benefit, as something that will help us and ease us. It’s not always so. Sometimes faith makes life much more difficult.

A catholic missionary, Bob McCahill, describes his ministry among Muslims in Bangladesh in his autobiographical Dialogue of Life: A Christian Among Allah’s Poor. His purpose was to live as a Christian in impoverished city slums, providing whatever ease, comfort, or assistance he could provide and sharing his faith only through his actions. He wanted to develop true relationships with people and for them to know Christ through him. He had no intention of converting anyone, but only to be a witness to them. McCahill sought to be an alternative to the many evangelical organizations that would send in staff with a wide array of gifts and assistance, virtually buying conversions with their promises of clothing, food, medicine, and education.

Once a man came to him and asked “What will you give me if I become a Christian?” McCahill answered truthfully: “Suffering.” This is what Paul got for his conversion: his social status was greatly reduced, no one (Jew or Christian) wanted to believe him or trust his word; he became an object of persecution; he had to escape Damascus by going over the city wall in a basket.

What do you expect from life as a Christian disciple?

Acts 9:26-31 Saul in Jerusalem

Saul not only needed a community, he needed a mentor and an advocate. He found both in Barnabas. Later Paul and Barnabas will be in ministry together, and Paul will seem to be the main player, but that is not how the relationship began. Without Barnabas, Paul never could have developed his potential as a minister and evangelist.

Barnabas argued to the Jerusalem community that Paul was legitimate in his beliefs. The apostles, for their part, listened to Barnabas and then listened to Paul. They provide their seal, their blessing upon him and set the stage for his later ministry. It may seem strange that Paul needed to have his legitimacy tested or approved in this way, but the church still follows this pattern. An individual is called by God to ministry, but an individual is also called and confirmed by the church. Both internal and external calls have to exist together for a ministry to be considered authentic. This is why we commission our mission teams, our new staff members, our BeFrienders, and others in ministry roles: as a church we are providing an external and community affirmation to an internal and individual call.

Where/when have you been a leader for Christ’s church? Who mentored you? Who blessed you on your journey? How did they do it? Have you been a Barnabas to someone else?