St. Mark’s Lutheran

Vampire Parson Brown reporting for duty, that 3 AM volleyball game was great. It is not good for a married man with kids to all of a sudden have larger blocks of time. They get wasted. Oh well, only one more day.

Readings
Job 2:1-13
Acts 9:1-9
John 6:27-40

Meditation
Saul, still breathing threats and murder, or as he lables himself elsewhere, zealous for the traditions of our fathers, receives a direct call. “I am Jesus, rise…you will be told what you are to do.” Today when someone says they saw Jesus we say, yep, sure, and I’ve got a nice padded room over here. The funny thing is that might not have been far off from Saul/Paul’s reception. We will read more of the story in Acts, but in Galatians Paul himself tells the story. Paul goes to Damascus, then goes to Arabia (Gal 1:17) and then back to Damascus. Paul is always defending his apostleship and call. It is as if his preaching is accepted, but then his authority is always questioned. It forms an interesting dynamic in the NT. Arguably the most quoted and influential apostle, the largest section of the NT, is also the only one seriously questioned with the book. If you were gathering sacred scriptures for your religion, would you pick the most doubtful bona fides to be the clearest and original messenger or systematizer? The ways of God are not the ways of man. God is glorified in through the weakness of man. Saul the zealous rabbi was stong in men’s eyes and had the best resume. Paul the apostle was weak in men’s eyes, and had a questionable resume at best - You saw Jesus in a vision Paul? Why don’t we go see Peter instead. - But God chose Paul to be the apostle to the gentiles and to write all those letters. Praise be to God who shines through weakness.

May God be glorified also in your weakness.

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