BIOG #83    IS CHANGE A POSSIBILITY? #6    11/27/2020

 

If there ever was a man who could not change, I would have said it would have been Saul (his Jewish name). He was a Pharisee. The Pharisees were very devoted to obeying the Law and keeping the Jewish traditions.

 

Saul was present when Stephen, who was a follower of Jesus, was stoned to death (see Acts 7:58-59). After Stephen’s death, Saul started his journey to Damascus to persecute the followers of Jesus (Christians). Paul says, “About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic. “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads. Then I asked, ‘Who are you Lord? I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting’” (Acts 26:13-15, NIV). 

 

What is a goad? It is a piece of pointed iron stuck in end of a stick. When plowing a field, the goad was used to urge an ox onward. A stubborn ox kicks back against the goad and wounds himself more deeply. In time, it became a proverb to signify the fruitlessness of rebellion against lawful authority or to get into greater difficulties by trying to avoid sufferings that are trivial.

 

After Saul was converted, he became a different man. His loyalty to Jesus was steadfast. Paul (his Roman name) became an Apostle and the first great missionary to the Gentile (non-Jewish)