Seeing the Light

 “Seeing the Light” was preached on April 5, 2016 at Princeton Theological Seminary as part of my “When Sundays Come Quicker Than Sermons” course. It was part of the social justice unit. Inspirations for this sermon include Scripture, personal experiences, redemption & reconciliation, and the need for prison ministry.

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Acts 9:1-20

1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, 12 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.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; 16 I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, 20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”

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Several years ago I remember sitting with a stranger in what I imagine would have been one of the lower moments of her life. The night before she had been arrested for a DUI charge. As she cried and cried, this stranger told me how her life was over and how her dreams were shattered. She worried she would get kicked out of school.  She worried she would never be able to get a job. She even worried her parents would cut her off and disown her due to her being a “disappointment” as a child. She believed she would carry that one night with her for the rest of her life. She cried and she cried and she cried.

As this was several years ago, this was also around the time I was coming to terms with my own Christian identity. I remember sitting with her in that moment and asking myself the cliché question, “What would Jesus do? What would Jesus say?” I didn’t have the answer. In fact, while I may have felt compassion for this stranger, I also felt angry. I was angry with myself for getting involved. I was angry with the stranger for mistake she had made. I was angry with the police officer that made this girl feel like a worthless, broken criminal. But most of all, I was angry with God for I believed it was God that let this girl – this stranger to me – think that she would be defined for the rest of her life by the punishments and consequences that would come from this one mistake.

This stranger came and went. After an hour or so of sitting with her, she would leave and I would never see her again. However, this anger did not leave me so quickly. It sat with me longer. Over the course of the next few days all I could think was about how justice system in America was represented by the consequences and punishments this stranger would experience after just one mistake. I despised that idea, so I decided I wanted to play my part in changing that. Since it was at the same time I was first starting to develop my Christian beliefs and since these beliefs would eventually shape my call during my time at seminary, this revelation of wanting change came as a pivotal, formational moment of in my own calling to ministry. Therefore, although I didn’t know how I would do it or what it would look like, I would eventually realize volunteering in ministry was meant to be a part in my call. Part of this means I must believe in and advocate for what we can do for the men and women who are currently incarcerated.

In our lectionary Epistle reading we have the story of the call and conversion of Saul. We would eventually know him as Paul, writer of nearly half the books found in the New Testament. Saul wasn’t always the great disciple of Jesus Christ like we know him to be today. Before his conversion, he wasn’t even a follower of Christ. Rather, Saul was a persecutor calling for the death of all those who declared Jesus Christ as Lord. Day after day, mistake after mistake, Saul would threaten and punish anyone who believed differently than himself. He could have even been considered an enemy to Christ and an enemy to the Gospel. However, Christ did not punish Saul for being the enemy. Rather, he made Saul see the light. Literally, Christ made Saul see the light. It was a light so bright that Saul was blinded for three days. While going without sight while also going without food or drink I’m sure is a punishment worth mentioning, it should also be said that while that was happening, Saul was going through his own transformation found through Christ. It was a transformation filled with redemption and reconciliation and grace. It would be a transformation filled with chances for new beginnings and a better life. We hear at the end of this story that after Saul was blinded and lost for three days, he regained his sight and strength and declared Jesus as Lord, the Son of God.

This is what prison ministry can be today. Let us believe that the people inside of prison walls and jail cells will not be forever defined by their consequences or punishments or even the mistakes they made. We must believe they are worth the redemption found in Christ. We must believe they can be reconciled through Christ. We must believe grace has been extended to people inside incarceration from the Lord and Savior of All, Jesus Christ.

Following that moment with the stranger, I made the conclusion. If Christ died on the cross for me, then Christ must have died on the cross for you. If Christ died on the cross for Saul the enemy, then Christ must have died on the cross for a stranger. If Christ died on the cross for those who are free, then Christ must have died on the cross for those who are not. If Christ died on the cross for anybody, then Christ must have died on the cross for everybody. No one should be prevented from seeing the light.

I believe in what Christ has done and what Christ will do. I believe in redemption and reconciliation. I believe Christ can free the oppressed. We should not be defined by our mistakes. Rather, let us sit and pray with those who believe they are not worth being prayed for. Christ can work in mysterious ways. I give thanks to God for that. Amen.

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