Hard Conversations: Ananias and Jesus (Dangerous Encounters)
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This fourth sermon in the Hard Conversations series entitled Dangerous Encounters will explore the hard conversation in which Jesus sends Ananias to heal the blinded Saul of Tarsus. This conversation is a call to overcome fear and hatred and follow Jesus down a dangerous path. We will explore our tendency to create theologies that affirm personal safety and comfort and evaluate these against Jesus' call to go as sheep among wolves.
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Hard Conversations: Ananias and Jesus (Dangerous Encounters)
- 2. Series Verse As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. Proverbs 27:17 (NLT)
- 4. First Point God’s command can be a “hard conversation” that leads us into a dangerous encounter.
- 5. Acts 9 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.”
- 6. Acts 9 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,
- 7. Acts 9 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.”
- 8. Acts 9 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.”
- 9. Saul was deeply involved in the stoning of Stephen. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man (νεανίας/neanēas) named Saul. (Acts 7)
- 10. Saul was a religious zealot. 6aas to zeal, a persecutor of the church… (Phil. 3)
- 11. Saul was a door to door terrorist. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. (Acts 8)
- 12. Saul was a man with a brutal plan. 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. (Acts 9)
- 14. Acts 9 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. Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”
- 16. Nik Ripken – The Insanity of Obedience “Popular theologies would tell us suffering can be avoided, that there is a way to be both faithful and comfortable at the same time,
- 17. Nik Ripken – The Insanity of Obedience that there is a way to be both obedient and safe, that persecution is the destiny of those who live only at certain times or in certain places,
- 18. Nik Ripken – The Insanity of Obedience that God will reward obedience with success and security. Popular theologies would tell us that, even if we are sheep, it is possible to minimize our exposure to a world filled with wolves.
- 20. Second Point God’s call can be a hard conversation because sometimes the answer is worse than the question.
- 21. Acts 9 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.”
- 22. Habakkuk’s Question 3a Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? (Habakkuk 1)
- 23. God’s Answer 6 For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize dwellings not their own. (Hab. 1)
- 24. Job’s Question 20 If I sin, what do I do to you, you watcher of mankind? Why have you made me your mark? Why have I become a burden to you? (Job 7)
- 25. God’s Answer 2 “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.” (Job 40)
- 27. 2 Corinthians 4 16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
- 29. Nik Ripken – The Insanity of Obedience “We have the high privilege of answering Jesus’ call to go. But let us be clear about this: we go on His terms, not ours. If we go at all, we go as sheep among wolves.”
- 30. Third Point Hard Conversations pave the way for us to be a part of God’s amazing work.
- 31. Acts 9 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.”
- 32. Acts 9 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.
- 33. Acts 1 “May another take his place of leadership.”
Editor's Notes
- Series Verse As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. Proverbs 27:17 (NLT)
- First Point God’s command can be a “hard conversation” that leads us into a dangerous encounter.
- 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.”
- Saul was deeply involved in the stoning of Stephen. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. (Acts 7) As we look at the stoning of Stephen, we get our first introduction to Saul. He appears to us to have a very background role. He is identified as a young man, and he appears to be the coat check clerk. There is nothing that seems all that dangerous about Saul at this first encounter. But that impression is entirely inaccurate. Let’s assemble a fuller picture of this tragic scene. Verse 58 tells us specifically that Saul minded the outer garments of the “witnesses.” The final step in fulfilling a Jewish execution was the assembling of witnesses, a provision of the Law of Moses. Those witnesses would cast the first stones. The fact that the witnesses lay their garments at Saul’s feet suggests that he is the one giving them authority. Secondly, Stephen is stoned for statements that he made in the Synagogue of the Freedmen. Amongst the people in this synagogue were people from Cilicia, some of whom disputed with Stephen, but were unable to overcome his logic. Saul’s home city of Tarsus was in the province of Cilicia in modern day Turkey. So, it is highly possible that Saul was one of those people who disputed with Stephen and arranged for his execution. However, some suggest that Saul was too young to have such a role. Saul is referred to in the Greek text as a νεανίας, a word which could refer to a young man in the way that we would. However, this word could also be used to refer to a man in his prime of life, even a 40 year old. Put all the evidence together and we begin to see that Saul was deeply involved in Stephen’s death.
- Saul was a religious zealot. In Philippians 3, Paul provides a pedigree of his high position within the Jewish leadership. He was of the tribe of Benjamin, and a Pharisee. Verse 6 includes this statement as one of Paul’s credentials at that time… as to zeal, a persecutor of the church. This is more of a loaded term than we might immediately realize. Zeal meant more than enthusiasm or devotion. The political zealots of Jesus’ day were insurrectionists and murderers. They would do anything and everything to kill Roman officials and try to restore Jewish sovereignty. But there were also religious zealots who would do anything to silence sectarian groups who rejected their religious authority. These religious zealots were also a dangerous lot. Saul of Tarsus was such a man.
- Acts 8 begins with a picture of Saul as a door to door terrorist. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. (Acts 8) We see here a real picture of what this persecution looked like. Law and justice have been suspended. Saul acts like a governor who has declared martial law. People are imprisoned without trial or due process. The Greek word used here indicates a harm that borders on destruction. I think ravaging is a strong translation. In modern times, think of the Nazi holocaust turned upside down, and you have a pretty good image of Saul of Tarsus – a Jewish purveyor of death and destruction.
- Acts 9 begins with one final bit of early biography on this Jewish religious zealot named Saul. He was a man with a brutal plan. 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.
- This is all essential context if we are to appreciate Ananias hard conversation with Jesus. I imagine that at first, this was a glorious moment. Ananias has a vision of the risen Jesus. What an amazing moment. It begins as an amazing conversation, but it becomes hard almost immediately. Jesus has marching orders for Ananias. He is sending him to a specific location… go to Straight Street. Damascus, Syria is the oldest continually inhabited city in the world. And Straight Street this exists. It is an east-west Roman road that was just under a mile long. Ananias is told to go to the house of Judas and seek out Saul. Saul has been stricken blind, but has had a vision of Ananias coming to heal him. Let’s look at Ananias reaction again.
- 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.” Ananias’ response reveals the fact that Jesus’ call upon him doesn’t make sense to him. Maybe you’ve done in prayer what Ananias does here… explain things to God so that he will understand… as if we could add to His understanding. Yet, when God’s call upon our lives seems to call us towards risk or danger, we feel this need… to help God understand our plight. That is what Ananias does. He explains to Jesus that Saul has bad and deserved reputation. This is the guy who has been ravaging he church. Not only has he done evil, but the target of that evil is the saints at Jerusalem. And then, in verse 14, we see that he explains to Jesus that Saul has come to export terror in Damascus. He has the legal authority to bring much suffering. Surely, there’s been some mistake here. Maybe if Saul is blind, that’s a good thing. It will slow his reign of terror down. Hiding from Saul… that makes sense. Leaving Saul blind… that makes sense. Seeking him out and restoring his vision… that makes no sense at all… unless we recall some of Jesus’ commissioning of his earliest disciples. He sent them out without sufficient provision, so that they would be dependent on others. And he knowingly sent them into danger.
- Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”
- “Popular theologies would tell us suffering can be avoided, that there is a way to be both faithful and comfortable at the same time,
- that there is a way to be both obedient and safe, that persecution is the destiny of those who live only at certain times or in certain places,
- that God will reward obedience with success and security. Popular theologies would tell us that, even if we are sheep, it is possible to minimize our exposure to a world filled with wolves. It think that Ananias might have been operating under this assumption… that God will never call me to do anything that would put me at risk. I just need to remind Jesus what kind of a guy this Saul of Tarsus really is. And there is Jesus saying, I know who he is… a blinded wolf.
- This sermon series is proving to be one of the most challenging that I have ever preached. And the reason is that I keep having to share with you hard conversations that Jesus is having with me. This week’s hard conversation was this… Stephen, are you thinking just like Ananias? Do you think that I love you so much that I would never ask you to do something that might cause you to suffer? Do you think that I would never allow that suffering to touch the people you love most? Would you follow my command if I sent you to share with a pack of wolves? Would you think me weak or unjust if your path included suffering for me? Now, take my name out of those questions and put your name there. Do you feel the sting of these questions? It’s amazing how the internet has no spiritual discernment. Internet search engines lump things together just because of some broad similarity. While I was looking at this quote by Nik Ripken, guess what other author popped up? Joel Osteen. The Insanity of Obedience and Think Better Live Better were positioned on my screen side by side. And it struck me how that is exactly the clash of theologies that Nik Ripken is talking about.
- Second Point God’s call can be a hard conversation because sometimes the answer is worse than the question. Let’s read our next verses in Acts chapter 9, verses 15-16:
- 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.” Ananias is told a great deal in this verse. First, the truly incredulous… that Saul is God’s chosen instrument. Don’t rush through this statement. Try to hear what Ananias would have heard. Jesus, out of all of your mighty apostles, out of all the faithful followers who have been with you since the beginning of your earthly ministry… out of all of these great men and women of faith and character, your chosen instrument is Saul of Tarsus? Talk about crazy recruitment practices. Let’s get the most vicious guy who hates you and your followers the most and pick him. Now, try to imagine Ananias coming to terms with the second statement… he is going to carry my name before the Gentiles. What? You said you came first to the lost sheep of Israel. The overwhelming majority of Jews have not embraced you. The job is far from done. You are sending someone to the Gentiles? That’s crazy. And there is something that is crazier. You are sending Saul to the Gentiles? The only group he hates more than us Christians is the Gentiles. You are going to take the number one Jewish religious zealot and send him to the Gentiles? This is insane. After the insanity comes the inanity. Look at verse 16. Ananias… I will show Saul how much he must suffer for the sake your my name. I can imagine Ananias wondering… how does this help. All right… maybe there was a part of him that was happy that Saul would suffer. But how is showing Saul how much he will suffer supposed to close the deal? Jesus, You are sending Saul to a people he hates, to proclaim a Savior he rejects, and his reward is that he will suffer for doing so. This may be the worst sales job in history, Lord. Do you see why I suggest that this answer is worse than the question? Yet, this is often how God operates.
- Habakkuk has a hard conversation with God. He confronts God with a hard question. 3a Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? (Habakkuk 1) In essence, Habakkuk is asking, “Why don’t you do something about evil”? “Don’t you care?” The stage is set for a powerful response in which God demonstrates his justice and assures Habakkuk that he will act. And, God does answer and promise action, but the answer seems worse than the problem.
- 6 For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize dwellings not their own. God reassures Habakkuk that he will address Israel’s evil by punishing them at the hands of an even more evil nation. It seems to us to be an unsatisfying answer, as it was to Habakkuk.
- Job’s Question 20 If I sin, what do I do to you, you watcher of mankind? Why have you made me your mark? Why have I become a burden to you? (Job 7)
- God’s Answer 2 “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.” (Job 40) God proceeds to ask Job a series of questions that amount to “Can you do this? I can.” It seems to us an entirely disappointing question. I always read this book and feel like Job should get more of an answer.
- But there is an answer that God gives to Ananias, and Habakkuk and Job. God’s answer, as I understand it, is that each of them failed to understand the positive value of suffering… that suffering accomplishes certain things that might not otherwise happen. God is teaching Habakkuk that Israel’s waywardness will not be cured by small or light measures. The very things that anger him most about his nation: it’s idolatry, it’s injustice and it’s perversions will finally be purged by their being conquered by one of the most idolatrous, unjust and perverse nations ever. Their total immersion in Babylonian society, and their suffering at the hands of the Babylonians will forever purge them of idolatry. God is teaching Job some lessons that he could not learn fully through a life of ease and blessing. Job ultimately gains a fuller understanding of God’s sovereignty. And generations thereafter have learned that suffering in not always a sign of divine displeasure. There is no simple equation between comfort and God’s approval. Suffering is part of the equation and it can be His will for our lives. For Ananias, God is teaching him important lessons about risk-taking and trust. Ananias risk will be an essential step in the process of Saul’s redemption and transformation into the apostle Paul. Paul’s suffering will purge him of pride, violence and hatred. There is positive value in suffering. Paul will later attest to this very fact.
- 2 Corinthians 4 16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
- Now, let’s turn the hard conversation in an uncomfortable direction and direct it towards us. Do we truly embrace the fact that our sufferings are light and momentary, and nothing in comparison to eternity? Do we, like Paul, see suffering as an opportunity to be like our Savior and share in His cross? Do we, like Paul, see suffering as an opportunity to comfort others in the way that God comforts us? Or do we, like Ananias, look to avoid risk because it may lead to unpleasant outcomes. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mean to cast aspersions on Ananias. He is a prophet and one whom Jesus entrusted much to. But, I do think that his instincts are the same as ours… he seeks to avoid suffering. We seek to avoid suffering. Let me jump back to Nik Ripken’s hard conversation about Jesus’ sending us out as sheep amongst wolves.
- “We have the high privilege of answering Jesus’ call to go. But let us be clear about this: we go on His terms, not ours. If we go at all, we go as sheep among wolves.” This was the challenge before Ananias… would he go to a wolf like Saul. And this is our challenge. Students, will we go as sheep among wolves? Will we sacrifice our coveted and hard earned place in the popular crowd in order to stand up for Jesus. Adults, will we go as sheep among wolves? Will we speak up at the workplace? Will we speak up and risk our friendships? Will we take on the hostile and hateful because we know that apart from Christ they are lost and destined for destruction? This week I hard a hard conversation with pastoral colleagues. I won’t go into the substance of it… I’ll just say that I opposed an idea that I thought was more reflective of our culture than our calling. It was awkward. I felt kind of like that strange fellow that everyone looks at and says, who invited him? I am now embroiled in a hard conversation that will continue for the next month or so. We need to have these conversations because God can use them. Which leads to my third point.
- Third Point Hard Conversations pave the way for hard obedience.
- 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.” Before we read the next two verses, let me call your attention to Ananias greeting. This greeting reflects great obedience to Jesus. Ananias starts with the words, “Brother Saul…” It’s the language of inclusion. Ananias has accepted Jesus’ verdict, that Saul will be His instrument, suffer greatly for Christ and bring the gospel to the Gentiles. Here he is, blinded with the paperwork authorizing him to imprison and persecute Christians probably still on his person. And Ananias calls him brother. Not only that, he informs Saul that he will be both healed and filled with the Holy Spirit… he will have full membership in the Body of Christ. Let’s continue.
- 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. Here is the miraculous moment. Ananias removes his hands and something much like thick cataracts fall from his eyes and Saul’s sight is restored. He eats and he is strengthened. This is where the text ends. But remember a few weeks ago where I mentioned the 1985 movie Clue in which there were 3 alternative endings. Let’s explore an alternative ending. Imagine if Ananias refused to go to the house of Judas on Straight Street. Imagine if he allowed himself to be paralyzed by fear or held back by hatred. What would that ending look like? Would Saul remain forever blind? Would our New Testament be missing 13 books? Would the Gentiles never have had the opportunity to hear and receive the good news of Jesus? I would say, No, No and No. If Ananias would not have gone, Jesus would have appeared to another. Saul’s blindness may have remained another few hours, or even another day or so. But someone else would have come. Someone else would have greeted Saul and brother. And someone else would have had the privilege to see Saul healed, strengthened and released to Jesus’ service. And Ananias would be unknown to us. It is a lesson powerfully taught by Peter in the decision to deal with Judas’ defection and suicide. Quoting Psalm 109 verse 8, Peter says:
- “May another take his place of leadership.” Judas is, in many ways a special case. But we see this same phenomenon again and again. King Saul’s disobedience causes God to raise up another. In fact, God tells Saul that had he been an obedient king, the LORD would have established his kingdom forever. But instead, David was given King Saul’s place of leadership. In the Book of Judges, a man named Barak was called by God to deliver Israel from the Canaanites. But he refused to go without the prophetess Deborah leading the charge. He surrendered his place of leadership and she receive the glory that God intended for Barak.
- And so we have yet one more hard conversation to have. Are you embracing God’s high call upon your life or are you surrendering your place of leadership? We live in hard times. Some would say that we likely live in the end times. I want to encourage you to do something. Listen closely to these words. I’m not going to put them on the screen. In fact, if shutting your eyes helps you concentrate, shut your eyes and listen to Jesus’ description of the Signs of the End of the Age in Matthew 24, verses 9-14: 9“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. Did you catch Jesus’ description? It will be a time of persecution and death. It will be a time of unprecedented lawlessness, resulting in cold hearts. False prophets will declare, as they always have, that all is well, even when God is pouring out his wrath. But don’t miss the bottom line. Those who endure to the end will be saved and the gospel will be proclaimed throughout the whole world. God has a place of leadership for you in his global work. He may be calling you to go to your neighbor with the good news, or he may be calling you to go to a Muslim country where the risk is great and the fruit is beginning to ripen. It’s time that we all have a hard conversation with God and ask him… what is my role? What is your call on my life? What’s my next step? Let’s pray.