Saul, a zealous young Pharisee, held deep contempt for the Christian message. The claim that a crucified man—condemned by the very leaders Saul revered—could be the long-awaited Jewish Messiah was profoundly offensive to his religious convictions and national pride. The idea that God was somehow incarnate in this crucified peasant would have grated against his Jewish pride and his Greek philosophical training. Saul was evidently a very proud man, proud of his intellectual and religious achievements. He kept the law with great rigor and prided himself in being right and righteous in every way. He was not going to abide by a group of people who were claiming that he could have missed the coming of the Messiah, even if it were a remotely credible claim which, to his sensibilities, it was not even close. When you have that much invested in being right then you aren’t going to allow yourself to be wrong, and particularly not on such seemingly absurd grounds. The message of the Gospel was an offense and an absurdity to Saul, and it had to be eradicated at all costs. There was not a person in the world at that time more resistant and hostile to Jesus than Saul. But Stephen had prayed that God would forgive his persecutors (read 7:60-8:1) and now comes the answer. Jesus broke through that thick wall around Saul’s heart. Have you been praying for someone to come to faith who is vehemently resistant? Are you losing hope? Well, remember Saul, and keep praying. There is no wall so thick that Jesus cannot penetrate.
Pray for someone who is resistant to Jesus.
Read Acts 9:1-19
