Saul didn’t waste any time in proclaiming Jesus was the Son of God. He was bold and took his assignment seriously. Are we bold like Saul? How many times do we hold back because of some fear? Maybe we’re afraid we’ll say the wrong thing or not know enough. Those are the two biggie excuses I hear the most (and have probably used myself). You can imagine how shocked people were when Saul changed his tune. The testimony was simply that Saul had made such a startling turn around.
Saul stirred things up, and soon even his own people, the Jews, were out to get him. His new friends, the followers of Jesus, came to his rescue. The secret departure down the wall must have really been something. That was a brilliant example of being creative to solve a problem. I was impressed by the fact they didn’t let the situation stop them. How many times do we let a little set back or road block in our life keep us from doing what we are meant to do?
Saul’s life had totally changed. He had to make new friends. We hear that the disciples in Jerusalem were afraid of him. I suppose they were fearful he was just “acting” like a believer so he could infiltrate them and kill them. That goes to show how paranoid and fearful they were for their lives. The early church was certainly not immune to evil. It shouldn’t surprise us then that our church today is under attack. Evil will not give up in its attempt to interfere with God’s redemptive power.
So, you may remember Barnabas from our reading in Acts 4. He was an encouraging Spirit. It seems appropriate we see him again here, helping Saul by encouraging the other believers to trust Saul. Saul joined them and continued preaching. We hear he debated with some Greek speaking Jews. They weren’t especially open to the confrontation, and Saul found himself in danger of being killed. The tables had sure changed, hadn’t they? Soon, Saul was on his way home to Tarsus, and peace returned to Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. The church again was growing.
Have you ever known anyone who changed? Maybe you knew someone in high school who was a trouble maker only to find out they became a pastor as an adult. God has a way of using the unlikely to grow his kingdom. It is easy to identify with someone who has had a transformation experience if we can relate to who they were to begin with. Seeing another’s transformation can also be encouraging to us if we are feeling stuck in our situation. When we can see ourselves in another’s prior weakness, we, too, can be encouraged to overcome. If they could do it, we can certainly do it.
So what transformation can you share with others? If you’re still stuck, how do you want God to transform you?
Let’s pray. Father, I give you thanks for delivering me from my pit of despair. You never left my side and have been at work in me ever since. May I use the gifts you’ve given me to bring others to you. Open the eyes and ears of those you want to see and hear my words. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
