2-2-26
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These words, this question, \u201cWhy do you persecute me?\u201d was famously asked of Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who asked the question? It was a voice Saul heard as he was knocked to the ground, blinded by a light. He heard the audible voice of Jesus, a direct question from the Man who had preached and ministered, was indeed persecuted \u2013 harassed, arrested, tortured, and executed. This encounter of Saul\u2019s was subsequent to Jesus\u2019s resurrection from the dead three days after burial; subsequent to 40 days of appearing to masses of people; subsequent to His bodily ascension to Heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Saul, a distinguished scholar and Pharisee, was a Jew who was also a Roman citizen. He had rights in society, and a degree of power that he exercised to persecute the followers of Jesus\u2026 even after Jesus was \u201cgone\u201d the second time. He was zealous in rounding up Believers; it is supposed that he was present, perhaps ordering, the stoning of Stephen, a martyred follower of Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why did the risen Savior choose Saul to cease his persecutions, to mend his ways, and ultimately, as we know, become the most prominent Christian evangelist, author of more than half of the New Testament, the architect of the Church\u2019s beliefs and practices?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We cannot know the ways of God, but God knew the ways of man, and in Saul He had created someone of obvious powers of\u2026 persuasion. And clarity of thought. And patience and purpose. Saul needed to discern the Truth, and to re-purpose his desire to apply himself to vital tasks. After his experience on the road to Damascus, he even changed his name to Paul (no theological significance, but plausibly a sign that he savored a \u201cnew life\u201d as a new creation). He might not directly have answered the question \u201cWhy do you persecute Me?\u201d \u2013 except by radically changing course, renouncing his sins, redeeming his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the spread of the Gospel, conversions of many people, and the establishment of churches from India to England before the year 60, we know that a myriad number of Jews still were persecuting new Christians. It was not Jews alone, but Romans too, of course. Rome felt threatened by independent thinkers as they protected their political outposts. Many Jews who should have known better \u2013 Christ fulfilled uncountable prophecies they had studied; He was the obvious Messiah they prayed for \u2013 also felt threatened. If Paul had not converted, he might have become one of the obstinate Jewish enemies of the Gospel remembered through the centuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If there is a lesson inherent in Paul\u2019s life as an evangelist and apologist, it is NOT<\/em> \u201cwhat goes around comes around.\u201d Are you tempted to think that? For Paul \u2013 despite his legal standing and protections as a Roman citizen of the day \u2013 was persecuted himself until his (brutal, sacrificial, martyr\u2019s) death. He was shunned, chased, arrested, imprisoned, and tortured. He also survived shipwrecks and storms. Yet he never asked Jesus, \u201cWhy do you persecute me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Back to the original question, or the original interlocutor, Jesus Christ. It is still being asked\u2026 of us, today. Why do we persecute Jesus?<\/p>\n\n\n\n I don\u2019t mean the world\u2019s form of persecution, because peoples\u2019 rejection of the Son of God who endured shame, gave His life, and overcame death for each of us is a form of ingratitude at best, and a form of persecution at worst. But individually, we must see our lack of reverence\u2026 our failure to acknowledge Him in all ways\u2026 our choosing not to pray or care for others or share Him\u2026 our consigning Jesus to a corner of our lives and not at the center \u2013 are all ways in that we persecute Him, bit by bit, again and again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taking His name in vain I believe to be no less offensive to the Lord as failing to act<\/em> in His name when we have that choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPersecution\u201d comes in many forms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have friends from many walks of life, and from many backgrounds. The casual persecution of Jesus is rife today. I wonder, sometimes, when I walk down supermarket aisles or listen to soundtracks of movies, whether many Americans invoke the Name of Jesus more as blasphemy than in prayers. I have a Jewish friend, a prominent academic, who lards her social media posts with frequent Jesus<\/em>es and Christ<\/em>s \u2013 believe me, not in reverence or respect. She has \u201cunfriended\u201d me, probably because I asked her to be more polite to my best friend. She pushed back, of course. A TV producer I once worked with began, or ended, almost every sentence of his with a Je-sus Christ<\/em> similarly. I offended him by inventing oaths in my conversations, like \u201cBy the strings of Moses\u2019 moneybags\u201d and such. I could see little difference, but somehow he took mighty exception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s one end of the spectrum. At the other end \u2013 I realize not everyone virtually crucifies Him \u2013 but we\u2019re talking about the Creator of the universe and the Savior of our souls. If you and I don\u2019t take His name in vain, or persecute Him more intentionally\u2026 are we better if we stand by and watch, as Paul did when Stephen was being stoned to death?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Does the Lord need to knock us to the ground and temporarily blind us and virtually shout His truth, in order for us to serve Him the best we can? Paul might say, \u201cBeen there; done that,\u201d or \u201cI experienced that so you don\u2019t have to.\u201d And thank God, literally, for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But we can go where we can \u2013 or where we are \u2013 and share the Good News of Jesus Christ. We can even write a few Epistles of our own. Try it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n