Scripture reading: Psalm 30:0 A PSALM OF DAVID. A SONG AT THE DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE.
1 I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
2 O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.
3 O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.*
4 Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name.*
5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime.* Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.”
7 By your favor, O LORD, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed.
8 To you, O LORD, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
9 “What profit is there in my death,* if I go down to the pit?* Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD, be my helper!”
11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

Sermon text: Acts 9:1-20: 1 But 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 belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
10 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.” 11 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, 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 at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 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. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 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.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened.  For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. 20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”

Introduction

Every story about a hero has an “unsung hero” somewhere. Almost every famous person has someone in their lives who helped mold their personality so that when their time came, they were ready for action.

In Paul’s case, Ananias has to rank as the “unsung hero.” We see only one mention of Ananias in Scripture, and that’s in the passage of Acts 9. Ananias comes into the spotlight in Scripture long enough to play a role in Saul’s conversion, and then he leaves. After chapter 10 of Acts — in which St. Peter preaches to Cornelius and his family and witnesses their conversion — the story of the early Church begins to shift focus from the church in Jerusalem to the Church abroad. The Church abroad existed, in large part, because of St. Paul’s missionary journeys. However, we must realize there would have been no St. Paul had there been no Ananias, the unsung hero of a Damascus Road conversion.

Sermon

First, we need to remember that news of Saul’s antics had preceded him to Damascus. The first verses of the chapter tell us that the believers in Jerusalem scattered when persecution hit the Church. Who initiated and carried out the persecution? A man named Saul.

Saul — who we also know as St. Paul — often referred to his past in his letters. Saul was “circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee” (Philippians 3:5); in other words, you couldn’t find anyone more of a Jew than Saul. As the foremost Jew in Jerusalem, Saul saw a heresy springing up in Judaism and naturally attempted to stamp it out.

When Saul began persecuting the Church, the believers spread throughout the eastern half of the Roman Empire. Many believers went to Damascus, since Damascus was easy to reach. Others went to Antioch, where they founded a church that would later prove instrumental in missionary efforts to the Gentiles.

Saul knew that Christians had escaped from Jerusalem, and he knew that some of them had gone to Damascus. Horror of horrors: These people started teaching the heretical views of Jesus’ resurrection in Damascus! Therefore, the “Hebrew of the Hebrews” had to do his best to stop the false teaching from spreading.

Unfortunately, Saul had fallen into something of a trap. The priests and leaders may have initially supported this zealous guy, but the Romans would put up with only so many arrests for religious reasons. After all, the jails would hold only so many people, and the Jews themselves weren’t supposed to execute anyone. So when Saul said he wanted to go to Damascus, the high priest and others saw an opportunity to get Saul out of their hair. The documents the priests gave Saul were not valid outside the province of Judea; Damascus was in the province of Syria. Had Saul made it to Damascus and tried to arrest anyone for a religious reason, the secular Roman authorities would have been highly unamused. Saul may have found himself on the wrong side of Roman justice.

We know what really happened: On his way to Damascus, Saul encountered the risen Lord, Jesus Christ. Christ Himself spoke to Saul and struck him blind. Then, Jesus told Saul to expect a man named Ananias to come and heal him. Apparently, however, Jesus spoke to Saul first — and then spoke to Ananias.

Ananias’ response is somewhat puzzling. When the Lord told Ananias to go and heal Saul, Ananias had the nerve to try to explain why he didn’t need to go! “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.” Ananias was apparently a devout believer on good terms with the Lord. Some Church historians believe Ananias may have been one of the 70 disciples Jesus sent out on a mission trip (Luke 10). Still, it seems Ananias should have known that an omniscient God already knew all about Saul in Jerusalem and why he had come to Damascus.

Before we try to look down on Ananias for this, we should remember all the times we’ve tried to explain the situation to God when He called us to do something. “Lord, I can’t go talk to that relative.” “Lord, you know I don’t know that neighbor well enough to invite him to church.” “Lord, you know what that man did to me! You know he won’t come, anyway!” Yes, the Lord knows the situation; He still expects you to obey, just as He expected Ananias to obey.

Notice that the Lord explained the situation to Ananias: “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.”

I see 2 points in Jesus’ words to Ananias. First, the Lord commanded Ananias to go to Saul; this was not a request. However, and secondly, the Lord told Ananias a part of the overall plan. Jesus had chosen Saul to proclaim the gospel to “the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.” Saul was the greatest missionary to the Gentiles the Church has ever known. We know that Saul — as Paul the Apostle — stood before king Herod Agrippa II and Nero, the emperor of Rome itself. You can turn to Acts 22 to hear Paul’s message to the “children of Israel” as well as see their response.

What about Saul’s sufferings? He gives a graphic list to the Corinthians in his second letter. You can turn to 2 Corinthians 11 and read the list. However, he later told the Philippians that

I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him [Christ] who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11-13)

Would Saul have proclaimed Jesus’ story to the Gentiles without Ananias? Would Saul have stood before kings without Ananias? Would Saul have learned this lesson on suffering without Ananias? Ananias’ obedience made possible a ministry that still stands as the greatest example of service to the Church. St. Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles changed Western civlization. St. Paul’s writings compose more than half of the New Testament as we know it. Ananias’ obedience literally changed the world.

This, I believe, gives us the lessons from Ananias’ life.

First, when Jesus calls, obey. Our Lord is omniscient; He already knows everything about the situation, and He also knows the complete plan that He has set in motion. He doesn’t need our explanation about why we can’t do what He has called us to do.

Secondly, know that Jesus’ plan will happen whether we obey or not. If Ananias hadn’t gone to Saul, someone named Ananias would have gone! Jesus’ plan will happen. Will we play a role in the plan?

Lastly, remember that Jesus could have called any believer in Damascus to play this crucial role in Saul’s life; He chose Ananias. Jesus can call anyone to do what He has called you to do, but He has chosen to give you an opportunity to participate in His plan and receive the blessing that comes from obedience.

Had Ananias chosen to disobey, I don’t think we would read about him today. Someone would have blessed Saul by healing him and baptizing him. If Jesus calls you, obey. You could be the next Christian to change the world.

Perhaps you have another reason to read this story and hear about Saul’s conversion. Perhaps you see yourself in Saul’s shoes: wanting to serve God, your Creator, and finding yourself on the wrong side with Him. If that’s the case, Saul the Persecutor later wrote as Paul the Apostle: “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:9-10) I encourage you to confess the risen Christ as your Lord, accept His Spirit into your heart, and come to know the joy of true living. Saul tried to serve God his way, only to find his way wasn’t the right way. Everyone who serves God through Jesus Christ experiences the joy of living as Jesus intended.

If Jesus is calling you to accept Him as Lord of your life, obey. Ananias did, and so did Saul. We’re worshiping here today because of their obedience. You may well be the unsung hero of someone’s life. Your belief may lead someone else dear to you to eternal life.