Blinded By the Light

In 1973, a young musician from New Jersey struggling to make it in the music business wrote what he thought would be his biggest hit ever. It flopped until Manfred Man’s Earth Band covered the song in 1977 and made it a hit. That song, Blinded By the Light, written originally by the Boss, Bruce Springsteen.

As we continue our series, Going Viral, we see another person who was certain that he was about to have a big hit on his hands. After standing idly by while Stephen was stoned to death, he actively started arresting other followers of the Way throughout Jerusalem and all of Israel.

Now, prepared for his biggest hit yet, he is found on his way to Damascus to round up some of those that had scattered following the stoning of Stephen. But wait, he will soon be blinded by the light.

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. He went to the high priest and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 

“Who are You, Lord?” he said. 

“I am Jesus, the One you are persecuting,” He replied. “But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 

The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the sound but seeing no one. Then Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. He was unable to see for three days and did not eat or drink. (Acts 9:1-9, HCSB)

Saul continued to be a real thorn to the followers of the Way, but he did not touch the apostles directly. Perhaps this is because of the advice that Gamaliel gave them back in chapter 5. He had recommended that the religious leaders do nothing to the apostles. He believed if they really were speaking the truth they would find themselves fighting against God.

Yet this did not prevent Saul and the religious leaders from arresting followers of the Way, and, as we saw in the case of Stephen, illegally murdering them. Saul had probably grown tired of trying to ferret out additional followers in Israel, so he wanted to go to Damascus, which is in modern Syria, to find some of those that had escaped Israel for fear of their lives.

While on the road to Damascus, Saul was suddenly blinded by the light. A light from heaven flashed. A holy flash-bang, if you play Call of Duty. Saul was instantly blinded, but could hear a voice that said, “Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

Disoriented as he was, Saul still knew enough to recognize that this was not a voice from one of his traveling companions. His response shows that he understood the voice to be from someone of authority. He used the Greek word, Kyrios, which some have indicated could be translated as “sir.” Saul’s later accounts of this incidence lead us to believe that he fully understood that this voice was coming from heaven, and therefore he did indeed intend to respond with “Lord.”

Saul had seen the heavenly light and then heard the heavenly voice, but he did not understand who it was. And nothing could have prepared him for the response, “I am Jesus.” Yahweh Yeshua. The holy, personal name of God that He had given to Moses and the name of the One that these followers of the Way had proclaimed as the Messiah. The Yeshua Hamashiach (Jesus the Messiah).

Jesus told Saul to go into Damascus and that He would tell him what to do from there. The men with him could hear the sound, but did not see anyone. They led Saul into the city where he remained blind for three days. While Saul was waiting for Jesus to speak again, he was fasting and praying.

1There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. And the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!” 

“Here I am, Lord!” he said. 

“Get up and go to the street called Straight,” the Lord said to him, “to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, since he is praying there. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him so he can regain his sight.” 

“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on Your name.” 

But the Lord said to him, “Go! For this man is My chosen instrument to take My name to Gentiles, kings, and the Israelites. I will show him how much he must suffer for My name!” 

So Ananias left and entered the house. Then he placed his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road you were traveling, has sent me so that you can regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 

At once something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. And after taking some food, he regained his strength. (Acts 9:10-19, HCSB)

Rather than speaking directly again to Saul, Jesus gave Saul a vision. In the vision, he saw a man named Ananias placing his hands on him and healing him. That is exactly what happened, even though Ananias was somewhat hesitant to be anywhere near this Saul that was known for arresting anyone that believed in Jesus.

As soon as Saul’s sight returned, he got up and was baptized and then he ate some food so that he could regain his strength. Saul understood that being baptized was that important. It was worth it for him to wait on food until after he took care of this symbol of his faith and trust in Jesus as his new boss.

After his strength returned, Saul started proclaiming Jesus as Lord. The believers were skeptical that Saul was sincere, but he continued to confound the Jews with his teachings about how Jesus was the Messiah that they had been waiting for. Now the tables had turned and the Jews wanted to kills Saul, so the disciples snuck him out of the city and took him to Jerusalem.

Things progressed pretty much the same in Jerusalem and Saul was taken out of the city and sent to Tarsus, in Greece. Saul was from Tarsus, so this was a safe place for him to escape to until things could settle down for him.

In verse 31 we see what happened with Saul out of the way:

So the church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace, being built up and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, and it increased in numbers. (Acts 9:31, HCSB)

It seems that Saul was the driving force behind the persecution of the followers of Jesus. Without Saul around, the members of the Way experienced some peace, were built up, walked in awe of Jesus and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, and therefore they increased in numbers.

It is important to note that Jesus had to intervene directly in order to get Saul’s attention. Saul was a very religious man before he was blinded by the light. He probably spent hours every day in prayer to God. Jesus could have easily spoken to Saul during his usual prayers. Perhaps He was, but Saul wasn’t listening.

We do the same thing. We spend lots of time telling Jesus what we want and very little time listening for Him to speak to us. Saul was not listening, so Jesus had to get his attention. And just like that, a light went off and Saul finally understood that Jesus is the Messiah.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be found fighting against God or His people. I don’t want to have an agenda that is contrary to God’s plans. That means I must listen to God. And I don’t want to have to be blinded by the light before I am willing to listen to God.