Acts 9:1-6, (7-20)
This text is used for the Lectionary Year C on April 10, 2016.
The story of Paul’s conversion joins a litany of dramatic conversion stories that unfold in Acts 8-10. Beginning with Acts 8:4 we read about the conversion of the Samaritans, then an Ethiopian, and now the conversion of Saul. The conversions climax with a Roman centurion believing and being baptized. Each of these stories takes us farther from the original community in Jerusalem than the one before. They each tell a story of a God who touches the lives of unlikely people from diverse backgrounds, so the good news will spread to the ends of the earth.
On this second Sunday after Easter, it is fitting for the preacher to focus on this central theme of conversion. He or she will emphasize Christ’s primary and active role in the conversion experience. It is Christ who approaches and interrupts Paul on his journey, and it is Christ who changes Paul’s course. Others are unable to see or hear Christ, revealing the intensely personal nature of conversion. Even still, as the voice engaging Saul moves from accusation to invitation, Christ indicates that this story is not only about conversion but also about vocation and calling. In a moment, Saul becomes both a believer and a person with a role to play for God. Conversion is not only an experience shared between a new believer and God. It is also an experience shared between the believer and the world, as he or she is transformed both by their personal relationship with Jesus as Lord and Savior, and by their new calling to be witnesses to the ends of the earth.