Sermon for April 26th, 2020

Acts 9:1-19

9 Meanwhile 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 who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment 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 in Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; 16 I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Jesus on the Road to Damascus

For the past few weeks, we've been talking about encounters with Jesus on the road--something that happens often in the New Testament, and also functions as a metaphor for our own spiritual journeys through life--the different ways in which Jesus meets us where we are, transforms our way of seeing the world, and often sends us in an entirely new direction. That's what happens in today's scripture passage, where a man named Saul is traveling to Damascus with thoughts of murder in his heart, and a legal warrant to find Christians there, apprehend them, and bring them back to Jerusalem on charges of heresy. But instead, Jesus finds him, and in a blinding blaze of light, asks Saul "Why are you persecuting me?" This dramatic encounter leads to a change of heart for Saul, a change of purpose, and eventually a change of name--after this he will be known as the Apostle Paul, the one who brought the gospel message to people all over the mediterranean lands.

This is without a doubt the most famous conversion story, and possibly the most famous "on the road" story in all literature, not just in the Bible. Because of this, it has been portrayed in great works of art through the centuries. I want to take advantage of that fact (and also this online medium) to do something a little different today, and actually look at some of those representations, and how one story can be told in so many different ways.

While depictions of this story span all the way from the earliest days of Christianity to the present day, I want to zoom in on the centuries of the Renaissance and the Reformation in Europe. It was a period of great artistic and spiritual renewal, and also the period that gave birth to the Presbyterian movement. We'll begin with the great Italian painter Michelangelo.

Michelangelo - The Conversion of Saul (1542–1545). Fresco in the Pauline Chapel, Vatican Palace.

This piece by Michelangelo is titled "The Conversion of Saul," and was completed in 1545. It's a fresco, which is a type of mural painting on plaster walls. This particular fresco is painted on the wall of the Pauline chapel in the Vatican palace.

• Jesus zapping Saul in wrath, thrusting the light upon him.
• The obligatory horse.
• Chaos and a crowd. Look at who "hears the voice" and who "sees the light"
• Saints above and sinners below
• Paul shielding his eyes against the light
• Paul is an old man--he is Michelangelo, who at this point in his life was struggling with his faith

Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1567). Oil on panel.

• Still busy, lots of people, but not much commotion.
• Long and winding road, most people going about their business.
• No apparent light (or Jesus!) because only Paul saw it! A few hear something, most don't.
• Contemporary costumes - Brugel wanted to set it in his own times, personalize it.

Caravaggio - Conversion on the Way to Damascus (1601). Oil on canvas.

• One of the most famous depictions
• Like Bruegel's Jesus does not appear directly
• No crowd, just a servant. Very intimate and personal
• But the light!! Illumination is apparent, although everything is also surrounded in deep darkness
• Paul reaching up to embrace the light, eyes closed but at peace, his sword on the ground

Peter Paul Rubens - The Conversion of St. Paul (~1602).

• Back to the busy crowd and chaos--all seem to be aware of the voice and light
• Even Paul's horse fell down
• Lots of horses (and camels, too)--they seem to be aware of the voice and the light
• Jesus is beckoning to Paul, extending his hand to lift him up

William Blake - The Conversion of Saul (1800). Pen and watercolor on woven paper.

• Horse is down, but Paul still mounted. Even though there are others in the painting (above and below) still very intimate
• Paul's arms extended as in crucifixion, foreshadowing his suffering
• Jesus and Paul are illuminated in white, but the other characters shrouded in darkness
• Jesus is pointing outward...calling Paul to action

Bringing it all together

• Paul thinks he is doing God's will. Others in his community have affirmed this. Paul is RELIGIOUS
• Conversion is not, primarily a call to "be good." The action component is a call to proclaim the gospel.
• Ananias' concern -- would be similar to a Jewish Rabbi ringing Adolf Hitler's doorbell in the middle of WWII