Blinded by the Light

Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.  (Acts 9:3-9 ESV)


Saul, on the road to Damascus, was struck blind by the brightness of the light of the glory and presence of Jesus.  "Who are you, Lord?", he asked.  Isn't it interesting that his question was who are you instead of what is this?  He sensed the presence - life - not an inanimate thing.  This light was so full of life that somehow, Saul in his blindness KNEW.  And that presence commanded respect.  "Who are you Lord?"  He hadn't yet realized that he was in the presence of the LORD.  


Remember Paul's list of credentials?  If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more:  circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.  (Philippians 3:5-6 ESV)  Here was a well-taught, respected, faithful Jewish man zealously fighting what he thought was God's battle only to be confronted by the very God he thought he was obeying.  When he thought he was fighting for and guarding the truth, he discovered he had, all along, been blind to Truth.  What a shock!


The reality of sin is so vividly described in this passage.  Do we realize our sins are not only against ourselves or our fellow man, but against God?  Do we really grasp that?  Saul persecuted the new Christians.  Jesus shows up on the road to Damascus in great glory and asks why Saul is persecuting him.  He asks us the same question.  Our sin is not a private matter; it is not a secret.  The Light of the world cannot be overcome by the darkness of sin and sin cannot hide from the light of Christ.


There's another part of Saul's story worth noting.  In Acts 9:1, Saul is described as "breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord."  In that horrid state, he meets Jesus.  There is no condemnation, only the question "Why?" followed by instructions for Saul to go to the city and wait.  Saul's transformation is beginning.  The man, Paul, who is to take the Good News to the Gentiles, and become the author of so much of our New Testament, is being birthed from this violent, threatening, murderous persecutor, Saul.  The transformation begins in the light of Jesus - the light that confronted Saul's darkness and blindness and brought true vision, healing and new life.  Saul became Paul - a man zealous for the Gospel of Jesus, a man who knew the saving power of his Lord, a man whose eyes were opened to the truth by the One who IS Truth.