Parish Theme- January

On the Road again...The Journey in Jesus: Road Work- Acts 9:1-15

There is an old joke that says there are only two seasons in Minnesota, winter and roadwork. Here in Southern California we have to deal with roadwork all year long. Just travel the 22 freeway to Orange and you will see quite a bit of roadwork happening right now. I am sure you know some roads in your neighborhood that are in need of some work. Take a right out of the parking lot here at Bethany and you will run into some potholes and uneven pavement. It seems like we run into roadwork at the worst possible times. You know what I am talking about. You are late for work because the alarm didn’t go off or the kids didn’t want to eat their oatmeal and here you are on the 405 and you see those all too familiar yellow flashing lights. The ones that tell you that your lane is closed and no one is about to let you over. You even were watching the news with the “traffic on the 7’s” and they said nothing about this one. You try to call the office and realize you left your phone at home. Your plans for the day are ruined. You missed the meeting and your boss wants to see you right away. In the blink of an eye all of your plans were changed.

Something similar happened to a guy named Saul. He was traveling on the road and he suddenly saw the light that told him things were about to change. Saul was a man whose mission in life was to persecute and destroy all those who were following this heretic and blasphemer Jesus of Nazareth. 1Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest 2and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. (Acts 9:1-2) Saul had some definite plans. He was on the road when suddenly he encounters some roadwork. 3As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"5"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. 6"Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." (Acts 9:3-6) Saul’s plans changed in the blink of an eye, his own selfish plans went out the window and he was given a new set of plans. Jesus did some roadwork on his heart and Saul was given new life. He was made new by the light of Christ. Jesus placed His light inside of him and changed his name to Paul. Paul became God’s chosen instrument to bring the message of salvation to the Gentiles. He was to be a light, a beacon of hope to a dark world.

What kind of roadwork needs to take place in your life? Are there potholes of doubt and unbelief? Are there places of cracked faith? Are there detours of temptation? If so then God has a plan. He can and will repair all the brokenness, the discontent, the doubt and the unbelief. Jesus took all those to the cross with him when he repaired the way to father. Because of what Jesus has done for us we now can travel the highway to eternity, and there will be no traffic or accidents or detours. Just smooth sailing. It will truly be a freeway, a freeway of grace going all the way to heaven.


--Vicar Seth