Saul becomes Paul (Spark pp. 514-519)

Saul to Paul (Spark pp. 514-519)

ALL summer, we’ve talked about miracles—everything from Moses and the burning bush to Jericho to Esther saving her people to Daniel in the Lion’s Den to Jesus’ helping the blind, the people who couldn’t walk and calming storms.  Last week we even talked about his disciples healing someone who couldn’t walk.  Today’s story is about a new kind of miracle, really.  It’s about both changing someone’s attitude and about healing them—it’s both our last miracle story for the summer and the first story for the fall, a group of stories we’re calling “Journey stories.”

What are journeys?  Well, yes, you can take a walk or a sort of trip from one place to another, but this is also about how sometimes people are CHANGED in their hearts and in their words by what they learn about Jesus.

And THAT’S why we’re talking about Saul today.  You see, Saul was a BULLY.  A Horrible bully who hated anyone who was a Christian. In fact, Saul wanted to throw all Christians into jail for the things they were saying and doing!  But God had other plans for Saul.  Even though Saul was a mean bully, God still loved him—and had a big plan for him!

Saul  and his men had been told to go to Damascus for his job.  He thought that if there were any Christians living in Damascus, he could find them and he would bring them back to Jerusalem and throw them in jail~ He had arrested hundreds of Christians before this, and he would have no problem arresting more now!

But as he was walking, swirls of dust blew up from the road.  Saul COVERED his eyes with his arm. “Storms coming up,” he shouted to his men.

CRASH!  FLASH!  BOOM!  Saul feel to the ground as a blinding light exploded all around him.  Saul heard a booming voice speaking to him. “Saul, Saul, why do you hurt me?”

Saul rubbed his eyes, but couldn’t see anyone.  He shouted back at the voice: “Who ARE you?”

“I am Jesus, who you are persecuting.  I am very much alive and I have plans for you. Now, get up and go into the city and wait—you will be told what you must do.”

Saul and his men were speechless—they could HEAR the voice, but they couldn’t see anyone.  And then Saul realized something else.

“My eyes!  My eyes—I can’t see!  Someone get me up” Saul ordered.

Because he couldn’t see, Saul’s men had to lead him by the hand into Damascus.  And there he waited—and prayed.  He wasn’t mean or bullying anyone anymore.  God had changed his heart.

A man named Ananias was in Damascus.  Ananias loved Jesus.  God told Ananias to go to Saul and pray so that Saul might see again.  Ananias was scared.

“But Lord~ Saul is a mean man, and a bully!  Don’t you see what he’s done to others who believe in you?  I’m afraid of him and what he might do to me!”

God told Ananias, “I have chosen Saul to tell my story to many people.  I have a plan for him.”

Ananias found Saul just as God had told him he would.  Ananias prayed for Saul, and Saul was filled with God’s holy spirit.  Suddenly, scales fell from Saul’s eyes and he could see again.

Ananias told Saul, “God has a job for you.  You will go and tell others about Jesus.”

Saul was baptized, and his name was changed to Paul. Paul went around preaching and teaching and writing letters of encouragement to other Christians the rest of his life.  He became a friend of Jesus and told many people how Jesus changed his heart.

What did we learn?  Just as Saul journeyed from Jerusalem to Damascus, he also journeyed (and transformed) from being a bully to Christians to being a believer, a friend to Jesus.  Do you know anyone like Saul/Paul?  God transforms us—and sometimes bullies too.  It’s important for us to keep praying for those who may be bullies and who have never heard about Jesus.