11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.
Can you imagine being called to share your life with someone you believe to be your arch enemy? In our modern context, perhaps the Lord told you to share the Gospel with your Muslim neighbor who looks just like the 9/11 hijackers. How hard would it be for you to do that? It is hard to get over hatred isn’t it! I know, because I have some of those same feelings. In our text today a disciple named Ananias is told by the Lord in a vision to go and share the Gospel with “Jesus-follower Enemy Number One”, Saul. If you remember, Saul has been collecting Christians and killing them, sort of a hobby of his. But the Lord has taken away his hobby by appearing to him on his trip to kill some Christians in Damascus. Saul is now blind, having been unable to see for three days. He stopped eating and drinking as well. The Lord gives Ananias specific directions to where Saul is staying. And believe it or not, Ananias goes to his arch enemy with the message of hope and redemption. His heart says the mission is a dangerous, perhaps even deadly one, but he is willing to go because of his relationship with the Lord. I was talking with a friend yesterday about missions, and how some people volunteer to go to some of the most remote corners of the world and risk their lives to share the Gospel. It had never occurred to her that people would be willing to do that. And yet, today, right now, people are in some of the most difficult places in the world sharing the love of Jesus, not because it is easy, but because the Lord has called them to go. As I sit in my kitchen, drinking my coffee and typing on my laptop, I realize how little I give up for the sake of the Gospel. We give our money for people around the world, and we work diligently here to live and share the Good News, but we still give so little. Lord, help me to give all.
The Arnold Journey 