Who Are You Really Persecuting?
“Saul, Saul, Why are you persecuting and oppressing me?” And Saul said, “Who are you Lord?” And he answered, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting”
Acts 9:4-5 (AMP)
This scripture recently stopped me in my tracks. Imagine Jesus showing himself to you, and you think maybe he’s here to give you an in person blessing. Or, maybe he’s here to anoint you with a special gift. But, instead he tells you that you’ve been persecuting HIM by the way you treat his people. With all the racial tension, and discrimination going on in the world this verse proved that when any child of God is persecuted or oppressed, God is oppressed as well.
The apostle Paul persecuted Christians because they didn’t follow the Jewish law. He chased down and murdered followers of Christ because they believed in a different way of life. He felt that them being different was wrong, and what he was doing was right. He felt he was upholding his beliefs. He wanted followers of Christ to be brought back to Jerusalem in chains, and punished. He was well on his way to Damascus to do just that, but God…
On his way there Jesus grabbed hold of Paul and revealed to him who he was REALLY about to persecute. Jesus showed himself to Paul in a bright light and asked, “why are you persecuting me, and oppressing me?” Please notice that Jesus said why are you persecuting ME, not his people. That’s deep!
A lot of white supremacists probably believe they are doing the right thing by oppressing and persecuting black people. They are upholding their beliefs that the world should be one way just like Paul was. Most of them attend church, and read the bible twisting its context to fit their agenda.
Paul’s response, “who are you Lord?” shows that Paul knew he was dealing with a higher power, but didn’t recognize that higher power as Jesus. Now let’s remember Paul was a devout Jew who knew the laws back and front, but didn’t believe in Jesus Christ. Since he didn’t know Jesus he didn’t recognize his voice. It’s one thing to know the bible inside and out but can you recognize the voice of God when he speaks? When we don’t recognize God, it’s because we don’t know God, and when we don’t know God we don’t recognize that every person of every color, class, creed, religion, belief, social and economic status are his children.
When you attack one of us you attack God. We were made in HIS likeness and HIS image. We are all a representation of the creator himself. So, when you oppress one of us you oppress God. When you persecute one of us you persecute God. When you hate one of us you hate God. When you come against his people you come against his image, his likeness, his way, his love, his glory. It is contradictory to praise God, but oppress his image. If you give God glory every Sunday you have to give God glory for everything, and everyone he created.
After Paul’s encounter with Jesus his name was changed from Saul to Paul, and he was left blind for three days. God sent a man by the name of Ananias to lay hands on Paul so he can see again. Paul went on to be a great missionary spreading the Gospel and planting churches all over the world. I pray for the laying of hands for every person that has hate in their heart for a person of a different race. I pray for vision to be restored to those that are blinded by their biases and hatred. I pray that they can be a “chosen instrument” by God, like Paul was, to change the hearts and minds of those who hate God’s people. I am hoping for more God-like encounters in the world to turn Saul’s into Paul’s.
