9:3 As he (Saul)
journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from
heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul,
Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are
You, Lord?”
Then the Lord said, “I
am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the
goads.”
6 So he, trembling and
astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”
Then the Lord said to
him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 And the men who
journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. 8 Then
Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But
they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days
without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
Would God strike a man blind? Would love do that? And why
blindness? Why Saul? Why now? And if He is going to strike people down why
doesn't he do it more often? So many questions...
Yes God did strike him blind and yes love would do that
because God is love. That is a point that needs to be dwelt on perhaps more in
our day than ever before. We all agree love is good. We all agree we need more
love in our world. Countless songs have been written about it. Love stories
abound both in books and on the big screen.
What we don't agree on is what love actually is. A guy will
say "I love you" and be gone before the sun comes up, never to be
heard from again. Clearly that was lust, not love. That's too easy. The hard
area today when it comes to defining love is the area of pain. Does love
inflict pain? I'm not talking about physical torture, I'm talking about doing
things the person does not like. Saul I'm certain did not like the blindness.
I'm certain Miriam didn't like having leprosy. I'm certain Zechariah didn't
like losing his voice for over 9 months. I'm sure Nebuchadnezzar didn't get
warm and fuzzy over losing his mind for 7 years. I know my children hate
discipline and I don't like it either yet God said "Those I love I rebuke
and chasten."
In our day it seems we judge God by our personal definition
of love rather than judging our definition of love by God's character. He is
love. Everything He has ever done and will ever do is a proper and correct
manifestation of love. Our often passive and permissive and feelings based view
of love is actually disguised selfishness. It is easier to give in or let slide
but it isn't love. Taking the path of least resistance is nothing more or less
than selfish.
God is love. His only objective is to get us Home and by Home
I don't mean dragging us into His kingdom, I mean bringing us to understand and
appreciate the nature of His kingdom. Saul was on a "holy" rampage.
He was in a turf war. All he could see was the need to defend the
"church". He was completely blind to the reality of what he was
doing. He thought he was working for God when in reality he was working against
Him. Blindness is a major theme of the Gospels. When we really believe what is
not true we are in the truest sense blind. Arguing will not cure us. If
anything we just dig in deeper.
God could leave us in our delusions. He could wash His hands
like Pilate did with Jesus, but love never quits. Love even brings pain when
necessary just as a surgeon wields a scalpel when necessary.
Love our enemies? Love has no enemies. Love has no limits.
Love is never selfish. Love never takes the path of least resistance if it
means leaving someone behind. Love fights to save at all costs, even the cost
of being misunderstood or hated.
The bottom line is don't judge God by your definition of
love. Judge your definition by the love of God.
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