Acts 9:1-16
But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 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. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
Years ago I heard Chuck describe a fictional assessment of Jesus’ chosen 12 disciples. His fictional Galilean Consultants Group offered this assessment to Jesus thinking that they had some insights that Jesus lacked. They identified Peter as too impetuous, Philip as too slow, Thomas as too untrusting, James and John as too hot-headed, and so forth. The only one they deemed to be a good candidate for his enterprise was Judas!
I think of that as I think of the reaction of Ananias – and no doubt many others – at the idea that Saul of Tarsus would serve the cause of the Gospel of Jesus. Not only was he, in his own words, “a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man. He was well-educated and well-connected with the Jewish elite. This guy was a giant enemy of the earliest followers of Jesus.
His own profession:
If anyone else thinks he has grounds 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, persecuting the church; as to righteousness in the law, faultless. – Philippians 3:4-6
Saul was on a mission. But that mission was about to change dramatically. We’re talking 180 degree turnaround. Enemy of Christ to the most dedicated of missionaries for Christ. Persecutor of the body of Christ to builder of the body of Christ.
You may count someone out. You may believe he or she could never serve the cause of Christ, or even come to believe in him. You may assume there is no hope. This event should embolden us all to hold on to hope. God’s reach is farther than our imagination. He does things beyond all that our human minds can imagine. His grace reaches farther than we can see. His love is stronger than the worst hate. His purposes are higher than our most holy dreams.
That does not only apply to that other person whom you think too far gone, too antagonistic, too embittered. That also applies to you and me. Who knows how we might serve Christ’s cause in the days and years to come. Hopefully it won’t take being struck with blindness and having to grope along the way in order for God to break through to us.
CORRECTION: In last Friday’s post, Chosen, I incorrectly identified Philip who evangelized the Ethiopian Eunuch as the apostle who asked Jesus to, “show us the Father…”. The Acts 8 Philip is Philip the evangelist. All the apostles remained in Jerusalem. The Philip in Acts 8 is one of the deacons, and is named in Acts 6:5. That paragraph now reads:
And what of Philip? He was chosen initially to be a deacon to help with the daily distribution of food. His initial task was not to evangelize. But he is chosen to bring the message of Jesus to this man, and does so with clarity and confidence.
David Bahn - Reflections 
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