Read what blogger, Rachel Anne Tedesco, has to say
about “The Conversion of Saul”:
“Michelangelo’s worldview was
primarily Christian. Much of his work
depicted significant events in Christian faith and development. The story of the conversion of Saul to Christianity
is one such story. In this tale, Saul
sets out on his campaign against Christianity after the stoning of
Stephen. Saul sets himself apart for his
cruelty in his persecution of Christian believers. At the time, the normal punishment for Christianity
was imprisonment. Saul, however, called
for a total extermination of all Christian followers – starting in
Jerusalem. On his journey to Damascus
(Syria), Saul’s life changed forever.
Saul later wrote that on his trek, he was blinded by the light of
God. The light overwhelmed him and
blinded him. While chaos erupted around
him, Saul, blinded, received the Word of God, ‘Saul, why do you persecute
me?’ This moment marked the turning
point in Saul’s life. He stopped his
crusade against Christians and spent the rest of his life devoted to God as a
Christian missionary.”
Now I don’t know anything about Ms. Tedesco, but from a
secular point of view she’s got a pretty good handle on the facts of Acts
9. While her references to the account
as a “tale” is specious and short-sighted, the impact on this event on Paul was
so great that years later he talks about it before the King of Judea, Agrippa
II. And it’s this verbal description of
his conversion that is our focus this Sunday.
But first, back to Michelangelo.
I believe the testimony of history is that Michelangelo’s worldview
was not primarily Christian, but thoroughly so.
Upon finishing his previous project, The
Last Judgment, in the Sistine Chapel in 1541, the great artist embarked on
capturing two additional biblical scenes from Paul’s Chapel (Cappella Paolina)
in the Vatican: The Crucifixion of Peter and The
Conversion of Saul. It took him
three years alone to complete the 20 x 21 foot painting of Saul’s
conversion. Someone describes it this
way:
“A god figure (Jesus
or God the Father) is depicted in the sky surrounded by a host of angelic
beings. A red-robed God is thrusting a
muscular right arm toward Saul, soon to be Paul, spearing him with holy
light. Below are at least twenty people
in and around an area where Paul lies on the ground among a background of
gentle hills.” (Actually, Paul says they
all were lying on the ground.) “The
event caused Saul to be thrown from his horse.
Saul is seen grasping his head with both hands while another man – some
say an angel – supports him, lifting his head and shoulders from the
ground. A slight aural glow graces
Saul’s head, and also the head of his horse, which is off to his right. In Michelangelo’s time, a fall from a horse
was symbolic for a ‘fall from pride.’”
You may want to check out the work for yourself by going to
Michelangelo: Saul’s Conversion.
But it’s not the “what” of the painting that captures my
attention, but the “why.” It’s the “why”
of his conversion that establishes the bedrock of Paul’s testimony to Agrippa.
It’s the “why”, that establishes the foundation of his entire life. Moreover, it’s the “why” of Paul’s conversion
that mirrors, so perfectly, our lives and ministries as well.
What Ms. Tedesco misses in her reprise of God’s word to Saul
is what so many others miss. In
recounting the events of Acts 9 to the king, Paul provides a fuller account of
what Jesus actually said to him. Not
only did Jesus ask, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He added a commentary on Saul’s
condition. It’s exactly the same
commentary He gives every one of us who walks in our own way, rather than in
His way. Jesus not only said “Saul, Saul
why do you persecute me?” but also, “It is hard to kick against the
goads.” Indeed it is! This Sunday we will attempt to show why it’s
so.
In preparation for this week’s message on Acts 26:1-18, I
invite you to consider the following questions:
1. What
are “goads”?
2. Who
is Agrippa and from whom has he descended?
3. Why
does he allow Paul to speak to him? (See
chapter 25.)
4. What
purpose does Jesus give for His interruption of Saul’s life?
5. What
will happen to Jews and Gentiles alike when Paul carries out Jesus’ purpose for
his life?
6. How
is this call to a new way of life analogous to Christ’s call on your life?
7. How
is everything in Paul’s life prior to the Damascus Road a preparation for His
standing before Agrippa?
8. How
is Paul’s audience with Agrippa a fulfillment of Jesus’ words in Matthew 10?
9. What
three “deliverances” will come to others as a result of Paul’s fulfilling his
call? (verse 18)
10. How does
Paul prove to walk in the light of his own deliverance?
See you on the 8th! Remember to every Hebrew the number 8 is the
number of new beginnings!! What a
perfect way to begin a new series.
