I have returned home from my trip; how nice it is to be home. I left Denver on Sunday at around noon and arrived in Damascus, Syria on Monday afternoon. That gave me a long time to dwell on the trip and the significance of some of the places I would be. Perhaps the most significant biblical story about Damascus is Saul’s voyage there in Acts 9.

Acts 9:3-9 — Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

I certainly was not expecting a blinding experience on my journey to Damascus, or maybe I was just a little. It is certainly possible for God to speak to us, though we never imagine that conversation to take the form it did for Saul. I was intentionally open to listening to God on this trip; perhaps there was something I needed to be reprimanded for. My arrogance positioned me in a different place than Saul was — I am not a Jesus-persecutor, right? I prayed while I traveled that this trip would not simply be an academic endeavor but spiritually enlightening, as well.

The first place we visited in Damascus was the house of St. Ananias which was just off of Straight Street. There, we read the story of Saul’s conversion. As if it was the first time I was hearing this account, I recognized something significant.

Acts 9:10-19 — Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened.

The phrase that captivated me was the comment Jesus made about Saul, “For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” Jesus promised all of us that we would be persecuted, just as He was (John 15:20), yet it seems rare for most of us to suffer for His name’s sake. Some have said that if we are not feeling persecuted, we should do whatever it takes to become persecuted. I am not totally in agreement with that concept, but I do believe we should readjust our views on suffering and persecution. Think of a similar promise Jesus made — that of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit; something we faithfully believe in. Some may say they feel the Spirit, others may see a physical manifestation of their indwelling. But in the end, it is a matter of faith. We believe in that which we cannot see. We trust Jesus to keep His promise of giving us a Comforter. We should also trust Him to keep His promise that we will face persecution for His sake. In other words, we should not see suffering as something to try to avoid but something we have been promised.

Perhaps we will all do better to dwell for a while on this. Jesus showed Paul how much he would suffer. May He show us how much we must suffer, as well. And may we be willing to suffer for His name.

PS: for more pictures of my trip go to: Photos.

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This entry was posted by zac on Thursday, January 31st, 2008 at 9:10 am and is filed under Weekly Jib Jab. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.