One of the difficulties with using the Anglican lectionary is that it is not part of the Revised Common Lectionary. Which does not matter much for my church follows it only sort of. Today the text is not the text I’m commenting, it was about Christ picking up an infant, and saying unless you are as the least and most vulnerable — like a child — you cannot lead.
The passage today is instead unless you encourage the repentant who was your enemy, you stand in the way of the spirit of God.
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.
For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.
When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.
And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him. And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.
What Paul faced is two kinds of opposition: the first from the Jews: he had defected from them and was thus hated by them. Even more, since he beat them in most of their debates.
But the second group who opposed him were the apostles in Jerusalem. He has persecuted them: they were afraid he was some kind of spy. He had to be vouched for.
And here we can make, very easily, the wrong conclusions. I think accepting people as being of Christ, particularly in times of persecution, is unwise. Paul sent is letters with people — so they would get to their destination and so there was an attestation that they were authentic. Testing Paul, particularly as he had been killing the disciples, was wise.
But when attested as being of the faith, and with witnesses, there needed to be encouragement. And here Barnabas gave as great an example as Ananias: though Ananias healed Paul (in obedience to direct command, and not without fear) Barnabas vouched for him and encouraged him.
The times are bleak. We have to exercise caution in our discussions, unless we get shunned, and cannot earn, or buy, or spend because twitter is a vector for boycotts. As we fulminate against this society, and the living hell that is its narrative, we will find people who are prepared to change. When vouched, let us welcome them.
For God works regardless of the elite.
