The Obedience of Ananias

Daily Reading: Exodus 3, Psalm 53, Acts 9, Proverbs 22

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 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. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 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. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered.

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. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”

“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

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. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

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.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Acts 9:1-19

A few years ago a friend of mine said something that has stuck with me ever since, when it comes to reading the Bible. We were talking about the story of “Doubting Thomas” who was not sure he could believe the other Disciples who had seen Jesus after he returned from the dead. He said he would need to place his fingers where the nails had pierced Jesus before he would believe.

Many Bibles that you find will have a header for this section in John 20 labeled “Doubting Thomas”. This inherently changes how we view the story. What my friend asked was, “How different would we read this story if the header was “Authentic Thomas”?

How many of us would be unsure whether to believe the other disciples as well? Wasn’t Thomas sharing his authentic feelings?

I thought about this today as I read Acts 9.

The header was “Saul’s Conversion”. Immediately this centers our minds on Saul’s portion of the story. The incredible conversion of someone who was terrorizing the early church, to the apostle Paul, who would go on to spread the gospel far and wide.

An amazing story!

However, this header can also tend to keep us from spending enough time contemplating Ananias.

Imagine the person in the world at this moment that you would least want to go to in order to talk about Jesus. The person who you think is least likely to even remotely listen. The person who is most likely to throw you in prison, or even have you killed, if you came to them and told them that they were acting completely out of line with God’s will.

Now imagine hearing God’s voice telling you to go and confront them.

This story truly could have the header: The Obedience of Ananias.

It is so hard for me to put myself in his shoes. 

It might take an audible voice from God for me to go to certain people!

Ananias went and followed God’s calling. Saul had his heart changed. Paul was born. The rest was history.

It might not be as extreme as “the person in the world most likely…” described above, but who might God be calling you to reach out to? Who might be someone in your sphere of influence that God has been putting on your heart?

Maybe there is a group of people God has been nudging you to minister to?

The truth is, we never know when we may have been used by God to be Ananias to another.

We never know the ripple effect of a single life that we touch.

Ananias faithfully ministered to Paul.

Paul went to the world.

Daily Reflection & Dialogue

Who might be someone in your sphere of influence that God has been putting on your heart or what group of people might God be calling you to minister to?