This past Sunday, I referred to Acts 26:14, where Paul retells his conversion story and recalls Jesus’s question, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And then an added comment not in Acts 9:4 "It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” This last comment refers to a stubborn animal or bull resisting direction and guidance.
Jesus asks Saul a question instead of condemning, enabling him to reflect on why he is doing what he is doing. During his three days of blindness, we can imagine he recalls Stephen’s speech and martyrdom and begins seeing it differently. Stephen modeled for Saul a wholehearted devotion to Christ and how someone who had joy, contentment, and a forgiving heart even while being stoned to death.
Jesus encourages Saul not to resist what God's spirit will say to him in the next three days of blindness. We often can be stubborn and fight God's spirit work in our lives. Who knows what life would be like if we stopped resisting? C. S. Lewis finds our appetites are too weak as we resist God's work.
“Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy has offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
F. F. Bruce has a beautiful title for his book on the Apostle Paul, Paul Apostle of the Heart Set Free. In his introduction to Paul’s life, he says, “His glowing love embraces all mankind, to bring them salvation he joyfully sacrifices his own life, yet the fresh life of the soul springs up wherever he goes.” The Bible says Paul pressed on to make Christ his own (knowing Christ and the power of his resurrection), because Christ Jesus had made him his own (Philippians 3:10). Paul learned to be content in all situations, whether well fed or hungry or living in plenty or living in want (Philippians 4:11-12).
God calls us to follow him today. He is prompting us to confess our sins, embrace his grace, forgive others, and share the good news. The more you ignore him, the easier it is to continue to ignore him and live life without him. We can trust that as we press on in knowing Christ “he will carry on to completion (Philippians 1:6).” Trust the Lord, give your life over to him and let us not be so easily pleased.
