Why did Jesus appear to Saul on the road to Damascus?

S. Sekou Abodunrin

[For context please read Luke 11: 1 – 13, Acts 9: 1 – 18]

And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
Acts 7:60, Acts 8:1

Stephen faced the full venom of religious persecution. This whole episode was overseen by a young man who was full of offense. While the heavy stones were landing on Stephen and splitting his head he remembered the type of man that he was – he was a new creation love spirit. Stephen manifests a royalty and calm in the midst of this storm – he had time to remember to kneel down! Apparently this was his preferred prayer posture! He had the choice of allowing the hatred in Saul and the mob drive him to fleshly retaliation.

He also had the choice to follow the example of Jesus and allow love rise out of his spirit and dominate that frenzied mob action. He opted for the love option, for he was a love man. A fellow doesn’t make such decisions on the spur of the moment. He was a hardened lover. He loved his enemies and was as merciful as his heavenly father is merciful.

I want you to notice that Stephen cried with a loud voice. It is important to meditate deeply on what he conveyed through this loud cry. He was extending mercy to Saul and his companions! We know that Saul was consenting to this death. Saul got more than he bargained for. The things he heard pouring out of the mouth of Stephen were from another world. Saul didn’t know what God was like, but he could see it in Stephen. Through Stephen then God was gong to have good advertisement that will register on Saul’s senses. Saul was a natural man, a man of the senses, he needs to have a demonstration out in the sense realm and God was willing to give this to Saul, the trouble was there was a scarcity of men who would be sold out to love no matter what.

Stephen prayed a short but deeply spiritual prayer that was born of love. His desires were tied up with the desires of Jesus. He said for Jesus not to lay the offense against Saul and his companions. This caught the attention of Saul. This caught the attention of Jesus. Usually he is seated in heaven, but this time Stephen saw him STANDING. He is standing because of the type of love that Stephen is demonstrating. Jesus now has an opportunity to answer the prayer of Stephen. This was the door of love that Stephen opened to Jesus so that Jesus, a man of heaven, could come into the earth and make an appearance to Saul.

Stephen operated in the spirit of the new covenant – he operated in forgiveness. This was the same forgiveness that he had received from the father in Christ Jesus. You recall the case in Mt 18 involving reconciliation? The actions of the brethren can loose the Spirit to go after the errant brother or close the door in such a way that the Spirit is limited in manifesting restoration. Jesus as the head of the church and the saviour of men needs to be given audience before men so that his influence can be manifested. What Stephen did in allowing love to make a statement through him effectively gave Jesus such a door through which he could pursue Saul. He chose to make his appearance on the road to Damascus.

If you closely study the events surrounding Saul’s encounter you realise that while Stephen’s love walk was the door through which the Spirit could manifest Jesus to Paul, the Lord needed the love walk of another believer in order to manifest his healing life to Saul. This is why Jesus approached Ananias. Ananias could walk in unlove and thus delay Saul’s deliverance or he could open a further door to Jesus so that he could give Saul a first rate demonstration of his love.

The stones split the head of Stephen, but couldn’t break his love resolve. We have a scarcity of this in our day. Stephen remained a love man to the very last – Jesus stood up for such a man! Old Sekou would have prayed what’s now known as “dangerous praying” asking for the death and destruction of his enemies, but Jesus has used Stephen to teach that love can have full sway. Dangerous praying is really ignorance about love. Stephen really provided a door through which Saul could walk out of the room of hate and unlove. This is a clear case of Stephen, a new creation man, walking in a degree of judgement that sentenced Saul to an encounter with Jesus.

You have read of how Jesus appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus. Is this a case of randomness of spiritual operations or is there something we can learn from it?

Jesus died for Saul, but religious zeal was stealing Saul away from Jesus. There is nothing that is as effective in stealing men away from Jesus as religious zeal. Love in expression will break the power of religion over the minds of men. Jesus has a rare chance to get through to Stephen and through Stephen get through to Saul. What happened to Stephen never really left the mind of Paul. He was branded by this type of hot love. Jesus could go after Saul in hot pursuit without Saul requesting it. Stephen’s prayer would be answered and he will bear love fruits. Do you realise that as you choose to walk in and enforce mercy to the undeserving you take the game up one more level to where the Saul’s of this life have no hiding place from the power of love?

Stephen recognised that the torment and anger he could see on the face of Saul was really a reflection of the state of Saul’s heart. It is a known law that the face reveals the hidden emotions of the soul. This meant that Saul was really a man on a journey. He saw Stephen as enemy, but Stephen saw him as friend. This was a friend on a journey.

For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? Luke 11:6

Saul’s hatred is making a demand upon Stephen. Stephen must have something to present to Saul. Stephen could present unlove or he could reach into the mind of Christ and present love. Stephen enters into communion with Jesus and receives and releases love and forgiveness towards Saul. Saul isn’t like many Christians today who would dig out of their flesh the most deadly acts of unlove and go to the level of the ignorant man who walks in hate. There is a tendency to curse in these situations or even send Saul to hell. This would mean that Stephen is ploughing contrary to the way that Jesus has ploughed. Jesus is waiting patiently to receive the precious fruit of the earth – a man like Saul. Stephen presented love to Saul and by doing this he was receiving bread for Saul. He was bypassing the flesh of Saul and making it possible for Saul’s inner man to participate in the heavenly bread – Jesus.

Stephen extended friendship on a new level to Saul. The Holy Spirit enforced it by manifesting Jesus to Saul. Saul came breathing threatenings, while the Lord Jesus through Stephen was breathing love. Love in the resurrected man is stronger and mightier than any threat that the man of hate can bring.

…to be continued