Luke 11:37-54
The Woes on the Pharisees and Elders of the Law
37 When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. 38 But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.
39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.
42 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.
43 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.
44 “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.”
45 One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.”
46 Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.
47 “Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them. 48 So you testify that you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. 49 Because of this, God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’ 50 Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.
52 “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”
53 When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, 54 waiting to catch him in something he might say.
Acts 9:1-22
Saul's Conversion
1 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.
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.
God and Jesus can communicate and get our attention either immediately or over time...Often God is subtle and takes His time drip by drip, and day by day...But sometimes He is not so subtle...Let us pray that we see God and Jesus in Their True Light, whenever They are communicating with us......We often read and hear and believe things that may need changed somewhat...
Saul or Paul was a Pharisee...Paul was taught by Gamaliel...He, like many of the Pharisees, knew much about the Law of Moses...There were many Pharisees and teachers of the law who opposed Jesus...And Jesus had given seven woes to the Pharisees, about different things that they did...Saul was one breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples...Saul even 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 and were followers of Jesus, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners back to Jerusalem...Yet, all the Pharisees were not excluded from Jesus' ministry...Paul had thought that he was following God and doing the things that God wanted him to do...But he was not...The mysterious voice of Jesus met him on the road to Damascus...Jesus met Saul on this road and Saul fell to the ground...When Saul fell to the ground and heard this 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 very One that Saul thought he was helping, he was persecuting...
Saul got up from the ground on the road, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing...Saul was blind...So those in his party led him by the hand into Damascus...For three days Saul was blind, and he did not eat or drink anything...In Damascus, on Straight Street, for at least three days, Saul would do some soul searching...On that road to Damascus Saul had changed...He would change his name to the Greek name Paul, but he would be changed in more than name...He would be converted to Christianity by Jesus...Paul after arriving on Straight Street would quickly stop his old ways and turn and go in the same direction as God and Jesus...Paul had radically changed his beliefs about Jesus and God, in just a matter of moments...Saul had thought what he was doing was right...It was not right...Paul would no longer be a Pharisee opposing Jesus and God...He would be an apostle of Christ...
Paul would change...I cannot imagine changing so quickly...For me, change is difficult...Even some small changes are hard...And Paul had lifetime of beliefs and a lifetime of thoughts that would change in a very short and quick time....I would need help from God with these dramatic lifetime changes...God and Jesus were with Paul...