Before Jesus revealed himself to Paul, Paul persecuted Christians because he thought they practiced a false religion, one different from Judaism. Through his experience on the road to Damascus (Acts 9), Paul comes to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, the fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel.
Martin Luther frequently draws a connection between Jesus’ question to Paul, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4) and Jesus’ words in the parable of the last judgment, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40). Remember that Jesus is speaking of acts like feeding the hungry, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and welcoming the stranger. When Luther interprets Matthew 25:40 in light of Acts 9:4, he challenges us to look beyond clear examples of violent persecution and to recognize the serious impact of our actions and non-actions on others.
This message is excerpted from the Bible study “We are called” by Kathryn A. Kleinhans in the January/February 2020 Gather magazine. Today we commemorate Peter and Paul, Apostles.
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