God's Straightforwardness with Us

 In today's first reading, Acts 9: 1-22, we are confronted with Paul's conversion. He is filled "with murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord" and in that state goes to  "the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that, if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains."  On the way to Damascus, he is knocked to the ground, surrounded and blinded by a bright light. He hears a voice saying to him: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"  Saul asked: "Who are you, sir?"  The answer comes back to him: "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what  you must do!" 

Jesus does not fool around with Saul! He is straightforward and firm! In short, he is asking Saul: "Who do you think you are? Do  you think you are God? Get up now and go into the city. I will show you who you are!" 

We don't know how old Saul was at this moment but we do know that he's completed his studies under one of the most renown of Jewish Rabbis, Gamaliel, as he later tells us when he is doing what God wants of him, that is, proclaiming Christ to the Gentiles.  So Saul certainly is an adult. We also don't know how long God has been putting up with Saul's murderous threats against Jesus' disciples. But now is the time for a change of heart. Now is the time that God chooses to confront Saul. Enough is enough!

Without Saul knowing it, Saul belonged to God! God had a plan for him, a future full of hope for him, as He does for us.  We may for awhile go about life as though we are our own masters. We may also go about life in a way that is full of evil as Saul's was before his conversion. That does not deter God from implementing His plan in our life, assuming His authority over us at a time and in a way He so chooses-- sometimes in stern ways, as with Saul, and at other times, in loving and caring ways as with Peter and Andrew, James and John, when He called them to become His disciples.

Do I, do you, realize whose you are?  Do I, do you, realize that God is our boss, so to speak, and that God has a plan for us, a future full of hope that involves carrying out a special mission in proclaiming Christ to others, bringing others to Jesus?  Do you, do I realize that, like any saint before us,  that we have a mission to carry out, a purpose to fulfill that is decreed by God Himself?