San Diego First United Methodist Church’s Daily Devotion for
Monday, 21 July 2014 – Sunday, 27 July 2014 by Craig Brown
Text to Read: Acts 9:1-19
Acts 9: The Blinding
of Saul
1-2 All this time Saul was breathing down the necks of the
Master’s disciples, out for the kill. He went to the Chief Priest and got
arrest warrants to take to the meeting places in Damascus so that if he found
anyone there belonging to the Way, whether men or women, he could arrest them
and bring them to Jerusalem.
3-4 He set off. When he got to the outskirts of Damascus, he was
suddenly dazed by a blinding flash of light. As he fell to the ground, he heard
a voice: “Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me?”
5-6 He said, “Who are you, Master?”
“I am Jesus, the One you’re hunting down. I want you to get up
and enter the city. In the city you’ll be told what to do next.”
7-9 His companions stood there dumbstruck—they could hear the
sound, but couldn’t see anyone—while Saul, picking himself up off the ground,
found himself stone-blind. They had to take him by the hand and lead him into
Damascus. He continued blind for three days. He ate nothing, drank nothing.
10 There was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. The
Master spoke to him in a vision: “Ananias.”
“Yes, Master?” he answered.
11-12 “Get up and go over to Straight Avenue. Ask at the house
of Judas for a man from Tarsus. His name is Saul. He’s there praying. He has
just had a dream in which he saw a man named Ananias enter the house and lay
hands on him so he could see again.”
13-14 Ananias protested, “Master, you can’t be serious.
Everybody’s talking about this man and the terrible things he’s been doing, his
reign of terror against your people in Jerusalem! And now he’s shown up here
with papers from the Chief Priest that give him license to do the same to us.”
15-16 But the Master said, “Don’t argue. Go! I have picked him
as my personal representative to non-Jews and kings and Jews. And now I’m about
to show him what he’s in for—the hard suffering that goes with this job.”
17-19 So Ananias went and found the house, placed his hands on
blind Saul, and said, “Brother Saul, the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw
on your way here. He sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy
Spirit.” No sooner were the words out of his mouth than something like scales
fell from Saul’s eyes—he could see again! He got to his feet, was baptized, and
sat down with them to a hearty meal.
Plots Against Saul
19-21 Saul spent a few days getting acquainted with the Damascus
disciples, but then went right to work, wasting no time, preaching in the
meeting places that this Jesus was the Son of God. They were caught off guard
by this and, not at all sure they could trust him, they kept saying, “Isn’t
this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem among the believers? And didn’t he
come here to do the same thing—arrest us and drag us off to jail in Jerusalem
for sentencing by the high priests?”
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John Wesley’s Notes-Commentary:
Acts 9:1-19
Verse 3
[3] And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly
there shined round about him a light from heaven:
And suddenly — When God suddenly and vehemently attacks a
sinner, it is the highest act of mercy. So Saul, when his rage was come to the
height, is taught not to breathe slaughter. And what was wanting in time to
confirm him in his discipleship, is compensated by the inexpressible terror he
sustained. By his also the suddenly constituted apostle was guarded against the
grand snare into which novices are apt to fall.
Verse 4
[4] And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him,
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
He heard a voice — Severe, yet full of grace.
Verse 5
[5] And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am
Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
To kick against the goads — is a Syriac proverb, expressing an
attempt that brings nothing but pain.
Verse 6
[6] And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou
have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it
shall be told thee what thou must do.
It shall be told thee — So God himself sends Saul to be taught
by a man, as the angel does Cornelius, Acts 10:5. Admirable condescension! that
the Lord deals with us by men, like ourselves.
Verse 7
[7] And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless,
hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
The men — stood - Having risen before Saul; for they also fell
to the ground, Acts 26:14. It is probable they all journeyed on foot.
Hearing the noise — But not an articulate voice. And seeing the
light, but not Jesus himself, Acts 26:13, etc.
Verse 9
[9] And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor
drink.
And he was three days — An important season! So long he seems to
have been in the pangs of the new birth.
Without sight — By scales growing over his eyes, to intimate to
him the blindness of the state he had been in, to impress him with a deeper
sense of the almighty power of Christ, and to turn his thoughts inward, while
he was less capable of conversing with outward objects. This was likewise a
manifest token to others, of what had happened to him in his journey, and ought
to have humbled and convinced those bigoted Jews, to whom he had been sent from
the sanhedrim.
Verse 11
[11] And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street
which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called
Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
Behold he is praying — He was shown thus to Ananias.
Verse 12
[12] And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in,
and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
A man called Ananias — His name also was revealed to Saul.
Verse 13
[13] Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this
man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
But he answered — How natural it is to reason against God.
Verse 14
[14] And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind
all that call on thy name.
All that call on thy name — That is, all Christians.
Verse 15
[15] But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen
vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the
children of Israel:
He is a chosen vessel to bear my name — That is, to testify of
me. It is undeniable, that some men are unconditionally chosen or elected, to
do some works for God
Verse 16
[16] For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my
name's sake.
For I — Do thou as thou art commanded. I will take care of the
rest; will show him - In fact, through the whole course of his ministry.
How great things he must suffer — So far will he be now from
persecuting others.
Verse 17
[17] And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and
putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that
appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest
receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
The Lord hath sent me — Ananias does not tell Saul all which Christ
had said concerning him. It was not expedient that he should know yet to how
great a dignity he was called.
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Monday, July
21, 2014
Read all of Acts 9:1-19.
Make a list of the different "fears" you observe.
Tuesday, July
22, 2014
How does God work to resolve those fears?
What good came from them?
Wednesday,
July 23, 2014
Consider your own fears.
What resolution might they find in Christ?
Thursday, July
24, 2014
How can fear become an invitation for deeper faith and trust?
Friday, July
25, 2014
Note how Paul's reputation feeds fear.
How can forgiveness play a role in fear?
Saturday, July
26, 2014
When is fear patently destructive?
What creates this kind of fear?
Sunday, July
27, 2014
Pray for those under fear in any form toda
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First United Methodist Church
2111 Camino del Rio South
San Diego, CA 92108
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