2014-02

December 26 (Boxing Day)
is also St Stephen’s Day –
the day commemorated
by the famous carol Good King
Wenceslas and celebrating the
first Christian martyr. Just under
a month later, January 25, is the
feast day of the Conversion of
St Paul. Thirty days separate
these two Christian celebrations.
The book of Acts has only one
chapter dividing the events, but the
psychological journey undertaken
by Paul between those events is of
far greater length!
Stephen is stoned to death by
an angry mob because of his
belief that Jesus Christ is the
promised Messiah for the Jewish
people. The account of his death
ends with the words “And Saul
was there, giving approval to his
death”. Saul was a prominent
religious leader, eager to protect
his faith against the incursions of
this new and apparently popular
heresy. After Stephen’s death Saul
begins a systematic persecution
of the fledgling church, dragging
Christians in Jerusalem off to
prison, and causing the church to
scatter.
The subsequent story is wellknown.
“Meanwhile”, the Bible
continues “Saul was still breathing
out murderous threats against the
Lord’s disciples.” Having crushed
the church in Jerusalem he now
sought a warrant to arrest the
Christians in Damascus. It was
whilst on his way to that city that
a blindingly-bright line burst upon
him and the words “Saul, Saul,
why do you persecute me” broke
his world-view apart.
The blinding of Saul (he changed
his name to Paul later on) is a
reversal of traditional Christian
descriptions of conversion.
Usually we speak, in the words of
Amazing Grace, of being “blind,
but now I see.” Formerly we were
unaware of God and his love for
us, but now we see it in all its
brightness. But Saul’s vision was
taken away.
He was led, blind and helpless
to Damascus where he put himself
under the care of one Ananias – a
Christian whom Saul was intent
on imprisoning. Only after three
days of much uncertainty and
soul-searching, was Saul prayed
for by Ananias and “something like
scales fell from his eyes”. Saul
could see again. The world was
the same and yet unutterably
different.
The story of Saul reminds me
of a painter friend of mine called
Michael. Michael is well-known for
painting in incredibly vivid colours.
Many of his icons and stained
glass windows can be seen in
churches throughout the country.
Unknown to him, Michael was
developing cataracts in his eyes.
His paintings became brighter and
brighter and yet he was unable to
see their true colours. Eventually
his problem was diagnosed and
after two simple operations the
cataracts (something like scales!)
were removed from his eyes. He
could now see, for the first time in
years, the breathtaking beauty and
colour of his paintings.
Saul, zealous for God and the
truth of his religion, had allowed
scales to form over his eyes so
that he could not see what God
had done through the life and
death of Jesus. Saul needed to
be blinded in order that he could
see. Sometimes (metaphorically,
of course) the same can be true of
us.
Rev Toby Hole
The Scales Fell From His Eyes
St Chad’s Church, Linden Avenue, Woodseats
Church Office: 9 Linden Avenue, Sheffield S8 0GA
Tel: (0114) 274 5086
Page 17
email: office@stchads.org
website: www.stchads.org