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Ever since I started thinking about this sermon, I keep hearing “Blinded by the Light” (a song from my youth). And that is the most obvious image from this story. An encounter with the Risen Christ that no one could deny. A physical manifestation of God wanting Saul to stop doing what he was doing—namely persecuting and killing the people of the Way, the ones who followed Jesus.
Blinded by the Light. I have that experience every year—during our Tenebrae service. At the end, we blow out the Christ candle and wait in the darkness, for the bell tolling Jesus’ life years to fade away, for the shadows to deepen and for us to remember that Jesus was truly in the tomb. And then, I relight the Christ candle. It is truly blinding. You may have seen me struggle as I carry the light in the darkness. I take my time, use the pulpit as a guide, and slowly, inch my way out of the sanctuary.
Blinded by the light. It brings up images from Isaiah of the winged creatures near the throne of God who use wings to cover themselves, and wings to hover, and wings to shield their eyes from The Presence. Remember when Moses wanted to “see” God, God had to hide him in a cleft of a rock and let him see only God’s back, only the trail of where God has been. God’s presence is so powerful that the Israelite’s sent Moses up the mountain to talk to God, and to keep God far away. God’s presence is so powerful that when Moses came down from the mountain his face shone, irradiated in some way. God’s presence is blinding to us the Scriptures say. Truly awe-some.
Blinded by the light. God has appeared to Saul. But on the road to Damascus, the blinding light isn’t just because God is present. The blinding light is a vehicle for making sure Saul was going to listen to the message. Maybe God had been trying to get through to Saul while he was breathing threats and murder against the disciples, or while he was approving the stoning of Stephen, but Saul hadn’t listened. Struck blind, Saul finally heard Jesus calling. And that was the beginning.
The book of the Acts of the Apostles is really a history of the beginning of the church. In it we hear of fights with the synagogues and their leaders where most of the early followers of Jesus had started their journey of faith. That is what is portrayed in the stoning of Stephen, and in Saul’s relentless persuing of the people of “The Way.” It was a dangerous time to be a Christian. And as Acts continues it chronicles the huge fight within Jesus’ followers about who could belong to the church and what type of church it would be—in one corner was the Jerusalem faction (pictured in the stories of Peter and John) and in the other corner the upstart apostle who was not there from the begining, namely Saul who became Paul. It must have been a very confusing time.
And in confusing times, when there is turmoil, and threats, and uncertainly, there can be another type of blindness—instead of blinded by the light, let’s call it blinded by being “right.” Blinded by being right—is when we think we know it all. Blinded by being right—is when we are sure that someone is good, or someone is bad. Blinded by being right—does not much allow for change—it is a closed mindset. And it is rarely open to actually hearing God’s call.
Ananias was blinded by being right. He had heard about Saul and the devastation he brought. The church in Damascus must have been preparing for the onslaught—for Saul was blinded ON THE ROAD to Damascus. It was like a horror movie where you know the ax murderer is coming, and the music is building, and any time now he will appear.
God spoke to Ananais in a vision—spoke his name, “Ananais.” And Ananais gave a bold answer, “Here I Am, Lord.”
“Here I am, Lord” or Hineni in Hebrew only occurs 17 times in the Hebrew Scriptures (in Genesis, Exodus, Samuel and Isaiah). “It portends dramatic one-on-one experience with the divine, without any interpretive oversight or safeguards” (says Rabbi Simcha Prombaum in the Jewish Chronicle.org; Dec. 1, 2014). These one-on-one experiences are dangerous. We are as face-to-face with God as we can be. And often, others don’t believe the story. Rabbi Simcha relates a sign he saw in a religious bookstore—““Why is it that when I talk to God it is called prayer, but when God talks to me it is called schizophrenia?”
When God calls Abraham before the sacrifice of Isaac, Abraham responds, “Hineni—Here I am.”
When God talks to Jacob about getting the better of his father-in-law, God calls Jacob, and he answers “Hineni—Here I am.”
When God appears to Moses in the burning bush, God calls out and Moses responds, “Hineni—Here I am.”
When the Lord called Samuel when he was a little boy in the temple, God spoke his name “Samuel” and as Eli had instructed, Samuel answered “Hineni” “Here I am, Lord.”
When God in Isaiah’s vision asks “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Isaiah speaks up and says, “Hineni” “Here I am, Lord. Send me.”
So when God spoke to Ananais, Ananais responded, “Hineni—Here I am, Lord.”
And then God asks Ananais to go heal Saul. And Ananais balks. He is Blinded by being right. He tries to lecture God. “Haven’t you heard about this guy? He is evil and he has done evil things in Jerusalem. And now he has papers, authority, from the chief priests to do the same here! You must be mistaken.”
And God calls Ananais again, and says “Go, do not be blinded by your knowledge. I know more than you. He is to be my instrument.”
And Ananais went
and laid hands on Saul
and said “Brother Saul…”
Saul was blinded by the light on the road to Damascus. Ananais was blinded by being right about Saul, at first. Both needed to have new vision about the world and about their mission in it.
This reading is a cautionary tale. Saul needed to change. Ananais needed to change. God might have stopped Saul in his tracks, but the healing needed involved not just God but the community as well.
With Ananais’ hands the scales were lifted from Saul’s eyes. With Ananais’ words, “Brother Saul,” fellowship was offered, and accepted. Saul was baptized and started preaching immediately.
God’s call can be blinding.
God’s call can be disturbing.
God’s call can come on the road, or at home.
I believe it comes to all of us.
So be warned.
When God calls our name,
When we respond, Hineni, “Here I am, Lord”
We need to be ready,
For anything.
And we need to remember the stakes,
God uses us, God uses our “Hineni”
to heal in our world.
Good news. Provocative news.
God’s call.
And our response: (say it with me) “Hineni.”
May it be so. Alleluia. Amen.
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