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.”
Peter describes the people of God as living stones being built into a temple of praise to God (1 Peter 2:4-5). Is it any wonder? Jesus called Peter the Rock upon which he would build his church (Matthew 16:18). Paul, on the other hand speaks of the church as the body of Christ. Certainly his preference for that term relates to this very passage. Saul is on the way to persecute Christians, men and women alike. Jesus calls out to him saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” [emphasis added]
Saul did not realize that Jesus was so fully connected to his people that when he was persecuting Jesus’ followers, he was persecuting Jesus himself.
The question itself is profound. “Why are you persecuting me?” What was Saul’s motive? Why was he so driven? What was at work in him that would cause him to act so zealously? What did he think he needed to do? Who was he protecting? Why?
Such behavior always puzzles me. I once asked a fellow pastor why he felt the need to act so unkindly toward fellow pastors who he believed to be wrong. “You don’t have to do that,” I said. “Oh, yes I do. They must be stopped!” he replied. Somehow he felt the need to defend the truth (as he saw it); as though God had no other means by which to see that truth prevails.
God’s means in this case was to knock Saul to the ground and strike him blind. This was not merely to protect the truth (it will stand in the end). His dramatic intervention was to protect his people, and to bring more people into the body of Christ. God didn’t want merely to stop Saul from persecuting him and his people. He wanted to set Saul on a new course and expand the blessings of his grace to more people who were desperately in need. Saul will be his tool to do just that. From Body of Christ persecutor to Body of Christ builder!
Paul would later write to the church in Corinth about their relationship to Jesus and to each other. He would tell them that they are the body of Christ and each one valuable to Jesus and to each other. He had to learn his lesson the hard way. But he learned it. And he became God’s messenger of grace, mercy, and peace for millions through his missionary efforts and his letters.
David Bahn - Reflections 
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