Siblings, sometimes if we knew someone’s back story, we might understand their passion differently. Look at Paul. Before he changed, he was an outright terrorist. That is what he was known for, all across the empire. Those must have been terrible days for believers in Y’shua Jesus. Consider Today’s Holy Nougat.
Acts 8:3 AMP
[3] But Saul began ravaging the church [and assaulting believers]; entering house after house and dragging off men and women, putting them in prison. Philip in Samaria
Worsened First
It is as though with Saul, things went from bad to worse. Or was it bad to wicked? No way could Saul ever be conceived of as one who followed Christ. Ironically, Saul did what he did in the name of religion. Yes, those acts of cruelty, assaulting believers, carting them off to jail … he was protecting Judaism from the influence of Jesus followers. He was on a crusade against the ‘church’, the bride of Christ. But, whether truly motivated by religion or not, Saul was over the top.
With the current impasse in many countries and the increase in religious persecution, I can’t help but wonder what fed that zeal? While we don’t have the full scope on Saul, I’m aware that violence can be cyclical. If someone is exposed to violence in the formative years, it may require ‘de-programming’ to shift them from a violent mindset. That is partly due to the internalising of the premise that violence solves everything. Thus, when South Sudanese women argue that they are born in war, raised in war, married in war … (Can we help them change the narrative so they don’t die in war?); do we hear the unspoken trauma of violence in the home? Not every home, but violence is normalised in society. How much more so, under Pax Romana?
Life under Pax Romana was brutal. Please don’t get misled by the suggestion of peace in the term. Pax Romana was about conquest and dictatorship. That’s usually a recipe for abuse and loss of rights. When survival depended on ousting the other lest they become a thorn in the flesh, violence might seem to be a good thing. If that was the case, then Saul knew he was on to a very good thing.
Self-Check
Has (lack of) exposure to violence affected how we relate with others? Is aggression a thorn that we need to check at the foot of the Cross?
Application
Saul was cruel, and we know that by God’s grace, he was so transformed … until then, folks were sick with worry. If we focus only on this negative aspect of Saul’s life, we might be consumed by violence or a quest for revenge against those who abuse us and our loved ones. But, vengeance can be a drug, and most often, it affects others long before we’re satisfied that the source of our hurt has been hurt enough. We have to ask ourselves whether we truly desire to be caught in that cycle or if there is another way. The way of Christ.
Of course, the way of Christ invites forgiveness of the Sauls in our lives. Perhaps, like Stephen, we can pray that God convicts them and effects that mighty transformation that thwarts the enemy of our souls.
Point to Ponder
For whom might we pray this divine transformation? Perhaps identify a prayer partner for this venture.
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May all we seek be found in Christ
