I read the following story in a sermon online by Joseph Smith (http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/major-adjustments-joseph-smith-sermon-on-church-purpose-of-60305.asp?page=0)
The old farmer claimed that he could command his mule with nothing more than a few soft words, no whips or prods necessary. She would respond, he claimed, with nothing more than gently spoken commands. So his buddy down at the feed store asked for a demonstration. “Prove to me that your old mule will respond with nothing more than gentle language.”
Out in the field they went, the farmer, his buddy, and the mule. As the friend watched, first in awe and then in horror, the farmer took a huge piece of lumber, a two-by-four about six feet long, and swung it with all his might, hitting the mule on one ear! When the animal stopped braying and bellowing and prancing around, the farmer then said, quietly, “Come here” and the mule came. “Sit”, and the whimpering creature sat. “Back up”, and she backed into the harnesses of a waiting plow and waited calmly for him to hook up. “You see? She’ll respond to a simple voice command”. But his friend objected, “Whatever are you talking about? You said all you had to do was talk to her, but you hit her with this huge two-by-four! What do you mean, you just command her with words! That’s not what I saw!”
“Oh, that,” said the farmer. “Well, first I do have to get her attention!”
This morning, I wonder what God has to do to get your attention? Does He need to use a 2x4? I’ve heard that expression before, God whacking us upside the head with a spiritual 2x4 to get our attention. It is often in the context of a good story, about God doing something that really demonstrates His power and His love to us in some really noticeable, really obvious way, that usually ends up accomplishing some fantastic thing in our lives as followers of Jesus.
But this morning I’m wondering why we do that to God. Why, when the nature of God’s voice is the “still, small voice” that Elijah met on the mountain when God was not in the earthquake or the fire, do we ignore God until He has to yell? Why, when Jesus described His “yoke” as “easy and light”, and His character as “humble and gentle of heart” (Matt 11:29), do we sometimes back Him into a corner until He has to break out the 2x4? Why, when God’s relationship with us is one based on grace and on our experience of God’s love, do we live our own lives and make a mess and force God to exercise discipline in order to shape our lives in patterns and activities that make our lives the very best?
Context:
I want you to keep that point in mind as we turn to Scripture this morning. It is a story of a spiritual 2x4 being used on a particularly important figure, at a particularly important time, in the Biblical story. We have been in a sermon series called “Pivotal Moments in the Biblical Story”, and last Sunday we re-told the story of Pentecost and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the church and the response of the community of the church being born.
As often happens, this new beginning challenged the existing ways and beliefs and structures, and invited opposition. The Jewish leaders who thought they had dealt with the “Jesus problem” through the crucifixion now discovered that these followers of Jesus were not going to seep through the cracks and let life return to “normal”, in fact some of these followers started to make a rather large fuss in Jesus’ name. One story, in particular, of a young man named Stephen ends up with him being stoned to death as a heretic and launches an extended season of persecution. That story is interesting, especially in contrast to the story of Jesus. Remember, the Jewish leaders took Jesus before the Roman courts to have Him sentenced to death, claiming it was not lawful for them to sentence someone to death. But in the story of Stephen and his sermon before the High Priest and the Sanhedrin, they fly into a rage and haul Stephen out and stone him. As you recall, it is at the stoning of Stephen that we are introduced to Saul, who becomes the chief persecutor of the church.
Acts 9:1-9
9 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
Meeting Jesus:
I think that would qualify as a “spiritual 2x4”.
Ok, time for an interesting quick diversion… how many of you recall reading this story in the old King James version… do you sense anything missing in the text I just read? Here is the NKJV: “3 As he 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.”
There are extra lines there… I looked it up, they are not in our best copies of the original texts. They were a later addition. But it is ok, I looked a little further, and they are Scriptural additions: what happened is that some copyists at some point in time decided that these extra details, which Paul reveals to us later in Acts (Acts 22:10 and 26:14), when he is telling his conversion story to others, are helpful to include here in Acts 9. Here the one from Acts 26: Paul is taking to King Agrippa and says, “13 About noon, Your Majesty, as I was on the road, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions. 14 We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will.’” So the extra detail in the old KJV doesn’t belong in Acts 9, but it is Scriptural and provides one more important part of the story – this image of “kicking against the goads” or as translated in the NLT “fight against my will”.
A goad – a sharp, pointy stick which was used to poke stubborn animals and get them to move in the right direction. Jesus tells Saul that He has been trying to point Saul in the right direction, He has been speaking to Saul, He has been poking him with a sharp stick. But Saul has been fighting it, rebelling against it, kicking it. I don’t know about you, but getting poked with a sharp stick sounds painful, but not as painful as kicking a sharp stick. And certainly not as painful as being suddenly blinded on a road and left painfully sick and blind for 3 days. This sudden blindness would have hurt, I imagine a searing headache at the least. And it was a “last straw” for Jesus, who has been trying to get Saul’s attention for some time.
What does this story tell us about Jesus? What do you think? Remember, this is the same Jesus who said He had come to restore sight to the blind. Here He does the opposite…
And why does Jesus just say, “get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do…” Why not tell him then, why leave him in suspense and wondering, why make him wait? And why three days? Any significance to that number??
Have you ever been sick, like really sick, where you couldn’t eat or drink anything, for 3 days? As we read it in Scripture, it flies by, but when you live it… those 3 days must have felt like an eternity.
Here is an example of when God had to do something really drastic to get someone’s attention. Do you think God took pleasure in this? Do you think God enjoyed it?? The human part of us might be tempted to think, “all right! Saul is getting a taste of his own medicine… he’s getting what he’s got coming to him…”; But then I read Jesus’ initial question to Saul and it sounds like a plea out of pain. “Why do you persecute me?” Why are you hurting me?? Why are you hurting those I love??? Jesus repeats that word, “persecuting”, in verse 5. It doesn’t have to be like that…
Acts 9:10-22
The story continues:
10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered.
11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.
Our Role:
The first half of the story is one of pain, the second half is one of victory. It is the story of miraculous healing, baptism and celebration, the beginning of a ministry that is already powerful and as we know grows and grows, to the point that even today the Holy Spirit uses the writings of Paul continue to shape the Kingdom of God.
But I’ve got a couple questions in this half of the story as well. Why does God use a person in the healing? Why doesn’t Jesus just re-appear after the three days of pain – why send Ananias?? what are your thoughts on this?
So then, what can we conclude about our role as followers of Jesus today? What is the application for us??
I see a huge contrast between how God speaks to Saul and how God speaks to Ananias. God doesn’t use a 2x4 on Ananias. They have a conversation. It is a great conversation, God speaks, Ananias responds with some honest statements about Saul’s reputation which has undercurrents of a bit of honest hesitation on Ananias’ part and I’m sure seeking some clarity since there is so much at stake if it isn’t God speaking; and then Ananias obeys even at great personal risk.
And it is in this contrast that I return to my initial point for today. Are you more like Saul or Ananias; and perhaps more importantly who do you want to be more like when it comes to the question, “what does God have to do to get your attention”?
I think a lot of us want the Saul story – the huge display of God’s power, the blinding light that everyone sees, the direct word of God, the miraculous blinding and restoration. We love those stories of instant transformation, of rebels instantly turning to God and being changed forever. And they are good stories. But they are not the norm. And I don’t think God loves them as much as we do. I don’t think Jesus enjoyed the Damascus road confrontation. I don’t think Jesus enjoyed Saul writhing in pain, not eating and drinking for 3 days. I think Jesus knew it had to be done. Jesus knew this is what it was going to take. And Jesus knew that the end result was going to be very powerful. But even there, Jesus says to Ananias “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name” and we know Jesus doesn’t enjoy suffering; there will be a cost and it must be paid, but there is no pleasure in that.
Many of us want that instant transformation – whether it is the miraculous healing or the sudden humility and reconciliation or whatever else that we want God to just jump in and do. But that is more the way of our culture than the way of the Kingdom of God. I think the more normative way of the Kingdom of God is in the example of Ananias. A disciple, living the way of Jesus, attentive and obedient, having a real conversation with God, taking a risk in being obedient, and leaving the fruit to God. In Acts 9, Ananias is the spiritually mature one; he doesn’t need the 2x4 because he is living and walking with God day by day.
Conclusion:
I have tried today to read Acts 9 imagining God’s perspective. I think Jesus enjoyed the conversation with Ananias; but I think the confrontation with Saul was unpleasant for Him. I base that on the way I read the text, but I also see that through my filter as a parent. I want the best for my son. If I see him going wrong, I will of course intervene and confront that and discipline, because I love him and want what is best. But that is not pleasant, there is no enjoyment in that process, especially if it results in some sort of minor pain for him. Of course the end result is worth it, and love requires this type of action on my part as a parent. But how much better is it when there can just be a real conversation, such as between Ananias and Jesus: “here, I’ve got something important I need you to do…”; “really?; I’ve heard about that guy, he is dangerous.”; “Yes, but go. I’m in charge here, I need you to go and heal him.” “Ok, I’m going…”. As a parent, those conversations (when they happen!), are mature conversations, and much more pleasant.
So again, let me ask you this as a child of God. Are you a Saul, forcing Jesus to break out the 2x4; or an Ananias, living a mature obedient life, talking with God, and ready to obey whatever Jesus commands?
Fred Craddock, who taught at Candler School of Theology, Emory University, once said: “To give my life for Christ appears glorious. To pour myself out for others ... to pay the ultimate price of martyrdom — I’ll do it. I’m ready, Lord, to go out in a blaze of glory. We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking a $1,000 bill and laying it on the table — ‘Here’s my life, Lord. I’m giving it all.’ But the reality for most of us is that he sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $1,000 for quarters. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there. Listen to the neighbor kid’s troubles instead of saying, ‘Get lost.’ Go to a committee meeting. Give a cup of water to a shaky old man in a nursing home. Usually giving our life to Christ isn’t glorious. It’s done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at a time. It would be easy to go out in a flash of glory; it’s harder to live the Christian life little by little over the long haul.”
A final story:
In a book called "Directions", James Hamilton writes: Before refrigerators, people used ice houses to preserve their food. Ice houses had thick walls, no windows, and a tightly fitting door. In winter, when streams and lakes were frozen, large blocks of ice were cut, hauled to the ice houses, and covered with sawdust. Often the ice would last well into the summer.
One man lost a valuable watch while working in an ice house. He searched diligently for it, carefully raking through the sawdust, but didn’t find it. His fellow workers also looked, but their efforts, too, proved futile. A small boy who heard about the fruitless search slipped into the ice house during the noon hour and soon emerged with the watch.
Amazed, the men asked him how he found it. "I closed the door," the boy replied, "lay down in the sawdust, and kept very still. Soon I heard the watch ticking." (from http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/are-you-paying-attention-russ-sharrock-sermon-on-discipleship-42271.asp)
