Acts 9: 20 Saul promptly began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, declaring, “He is the Son of God.” 21 All who heard him were astounded and asked, “Isn’t this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem on those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22 But Saul was empowered all the more, and he confounded the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ. 23 After many days had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him, 24 but Saul learned of their plot. Day and night they watched the city gates in order to kill him. 25 One night, however, his disciples took him and lowered him in a basket through a window in the wall.”
When Saul saw that blinding heavenly light and heard the voice of God on the way to Damascus, his companions only heard the voice. It’s possible that they didn’t even really hear a voice but only heard thunder instead. By the time Saul’s companions had gotten him to Damascus, they had undoubtedly convinced themselves that they had merely witnessed a bad thunder and lightning storm. Sure, they felt sorry for Saul, but they were men on a mission. If Saul was unable to carry out the original plan, there were several others just waiting for the chance to prove themselves to the Sanhedrin.
How did Saul wind up at the house of Judas in the first place? Was it because Judas was a prominent citizen of Damascus? Certainly, Straight Street suggests that Judas lived in the center of town on one of the main thoroughfares. Perhaps Judas was already a secret believer. Perhaps God even ordered Judas to hang around the main gate that day when Saul and his group entered the city. It’s possible that Judas was sitting there with other city leaders when Saul’s companions led him through that gate.
“Saul? Saul of Tarsus? What’s happened to you?” Judas might have seen that Saul was blind and being led by someone else holding a stick for him to hang onto. “Saul, it’s Judas. Can you see at all?”
“No, Judas. It’s a long story but I was struck blind on my way here.” “
Do you need a place to stay? My house is just down the street here. My friends, why don’t you bring Saul to my house? Then you can carry out your business in town and I will take care of Saul.” And so Saul wound up at Judas’ house.
“Judas, do you have a room where I can just sit and be quiet and pray? Something incredible has happened and I am still trying to deal with it.”
“Certainly, Saul. What do you need?”
“Well, I need to bathe, but for now I don’t want anything to eat or drink. God has done something that has shaken me to the core, and I must seek Him and find out what He wants.”
And so Judas took Saul home with him, and Saul spent the next three days fasting and praying until Ananias came and prayed for him. Once Saul had received his sight, he began reviewing everything he knew about the Messiah. Saul was already a well – known student of Gamaliel, one of the finest Jewish teacher of the time. And when the word went out through the Christian community in Damascus that Saul was no longer an enemy but now a friend and a fellow believer, many came to talk with him. Evidently within a short time, Saul must have built up a small group of believers whom he was teaching, because this passage mentions Saul’s disciples. But Saul believed that he had experienced a divine revelation and that it was now his responsibility to share this experience as widely as possible.
It was no surprise to Saul’s close friends when Saul began making the rounds of all the synagogues in Damascus; after all, Saul was friends with many of the rabbis. And as a visiting scholar, Saul was invited to read the Torah and to speak in many places. But those friendships ended abruptly when Saul began to speak of his Damascus Road experience and proclaim Jesus as the Son of God. Now Saul’s years of study came to the fore and he quoted scripture after scripture, all underscoring the fact that Jesus really was the Messiah. There was not a single Jewish scholar in Damascus who was able to confound Saul. And the religious leaders were livid! This was NOT why they had invited Saul to come to Damascus! So incensed were these leaders that they refused to even entertain the possibility that God had really done everything Saul claimed that had happened. There was no question as to whether or not they were opposing God; they weren’t even thinking about God at all. They were trying to see how they could get rid of Saul as rapidly as possible. There were spies stationed at the city gates; if Saul had made any attempt to leave by that route, he would have been killed. Saul had come to Damascus with a number of other like – minded super – religious Jews, and these guys still had the warrants to arrest all the Christians in Damascus. Now that Saul had become a Christian, he was now their number one target.
When God was speaking to Ananias, God told Ananias that He was going to show Saul how much he would have to suffer.Now God was clearly demonstrating to Saul that nothing was going come easily. But Saul’s new disciples were an ingenious lot. One of the families lived in a house that was built into the city wall well away from the main gate. Under cover of darkness after the city gates were already closed for the night, some of Saul’s friends put him in a large basket and lowered him down on the outside of the wall. It’s likely that other friends had already left the city earlier that day, perhaps with a donkey or two, and these people were able to meet up with Saul and to get him away from Damascus.
Many times we try to do the right thing, only to find that those we thought would applaud are instead ready to attack us viciously. Saul was a very honest man, and he couldn’t help but tell people what God had done; however, the religious leaders were more worried about their orthodoxies and keeping the peace than they were about the truth. We are never told the names of those who helped Saul escape. It’s possible that when this account was first being written by Dr. Luke, there were still people in Damascus who might have carried out reprisals. But God knows the names of the righteous. Today, you might be faced with a difficult decision: do you maintain the status quo or bear witness to the truth, realizing that you might suffer as a result? Be at peace. God knows. God sees. God understands. And God has ways and means of delivering you …. even if someone has to let you down the city wall at midnight in a basket.
PRAYER: Father God, today some of us are facing difficult decisions. We know what we should do, but we fear the consequences. Lord, give us the courage and grace to make the right decisions and to bear witness to the truth. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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