Saul was definitely raised in the church. He knew his Scriptures and had worked hard to memorize them and interpret them properly. He wasn't a sell-out like those Sadducces and he wasn't running away like the Essenes. No, Saul was proudly a Pharisee who had studied under the best of the teachers of the law: Gamaliel. There was only one problem: Saul was wrong.
As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." (Acts 9:3-6 NIV)
Saul was so wrong that he needed to be knocked off his high horse. God intervened in Saul's plans to stop these people who believed that Jesus was the Messiah. The followers of this "Way" needed to be stopped before things got out of hand. Saul, however, was the one who was stopped...by God.
The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. (Acts 9:7-9 NIV)
It's difficult when you are so sure of yourself only to find out you are wrong. Saul spent three days fasting after his God-encounter. He had a lot to rethink. He would need a lot of humility as well.
In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he answered. The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight." "Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name." But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." (Acts 9:10-16 NIV)
Ananias was going to need a lot of humility, too. He would also need to have a lot of trust. Ananias was a part of the "Way." He did believe that Jesus was the Messiah. He was living out that truth and sharing it with others. He was also afraid of Saul because Saul's reputation had preceded him. Ananias needed to humble himself, trust God, and adjust his plans to match God's. Ananias' adjustment wasn't as dramatic as Saul's, but he had to adjust to match God as well.
Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. (Acts 9:17-20 NIV)
The result? Saul becomes Paul, arguably the greatest evangelist ever. He transformed from an angry young man, fighting for what he believed to be the truth, into an ambassador for Christ, setting people free.
How about you? Does your theological upbringing get in the way of your following Jesus? Does Jesus need to knock you off your high horse, or can he approach you in a still small voice to get your attention? Do you have the humility to adjust to Jesus' plan? Who is Jesus to you?
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