Now Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that, if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains. 3 On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 He said, “Who are you, sir?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, for they heard the voice but could see no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus. 9 For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank.
Saul, who consented to the execution of Stephen (Acts 7:58-8:1), zealously persecuted the early Christians because he believed they were a threat to Judaism. He received official permission from the High Priest in Jerusalem to arrest any followers of Jesus he found in Damascus and bring them back to Jerusalem for trial. Damascus, an important center of trade and commerce, was approximately 135 miles northeast of Jerusalem. One of the earliest names for the Christian movement was “the Way” (Acts 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). On his way to Damascus, a bright light from the sky enveloped him. This was a symbol of God’s presence and that an extraordinary event was about to happen. Similar symbols can be found in the OT (Ex. 3:2; 19:16; 24:17). This was a pivotal event in Saul’s life and mission.
Saul fell to the ground and a voice addressed him by name and asked, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" In biblical literature, the repetition of a name often serves to emphasize the urgency, importance, or intensity of the moment. Jesus identifies himself closely with his followers so in persecuting Christians, Saul was persecuting Jesus (Mt. 25:40). Saul was perplexed by the voice from heaven and asked the speaker his identity. Jesus identified himself, and by doing so, fulfilled one of his promises to his followers, “I am with you always” (Mt. 28:20). Saul is instructed to continue to Damascus where he will be told what to do. His companions heard the voice and were in awe but did not see anyone. Saul rose from the ground and found himself temporarily blind following the encounter and had to be led to Damascus. Saul's blindness persisted for three days, during which he abstained from food and drink. The blindness was a physical manifestation of Saul's spiritual blindness resulting from his failure to see Christ as the light of the world. This was the beginning of Saul’s transforming journey of conversion.
Almighty God, have mercy on us as we struggle to understand who you are and to believe that you will always be with us if we remain in you. Help us to hear your voice as we journey through life, and grant us the courage to obediently follow your call, trusting in your guidance and provision every step of the way. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
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