The Wise Seek The Wise

From today’s reading…

Once Saul became Paul and had proven himself abroad, he met with the leader of the Church, Cephas (Aramaic for Peter, i.e. Rock) to get his blessings and his instructions.

Paul had to endear great hardship to not only learn his lesson but also to apply what he learned.

First he was blinded for three days. He was arrested many times. Then he had to travel abroad for three years. And finally he was martyred in Rome.

Saul was stubborn, zealous, and hard-headed. 

Paul was stubborn and zealous with a little humility added to his hard-headedness.

We see his humility in how he sought council with Cephas but his stubbornness is seen when he butts heads with Peter in Galatians (and with Barnabas in Acts.)

So it’s fine to question things including authority. But you better have the chops to support your position.

Paul wasn’t some snot-nosed kid working part time at Chick-fil-A® trying to tell Colonel Sanders how to cook chicken.

He was a well-educated Jew (“At the feet of Gamaliel…“) and a prominent Roman citizen before his conversion. And he had been quite active in his new role before he felt he was qualified to challenge his fellow leaders in the new Church.

Likewise, before you go off half-cocked, ask yourself if it’s your pride or your humility that is creating your consternation.

Saul was full of pride and was blinded by the light to get him to see more clearly. (Are you sining Manfred Mann’s Earth Band now…or are you too young for that?) 

Once Paul had a little humility it was actually easier for him to question those in authority in order to determine the truth, because knowing and following the truth is the only way to…

Stay the course. Keep the faith. Endure.

Now go sell something…after you jam out to “Blinded By The Light” below.