Why are You Persecuting Me?

During my meditations this morning on the life of Paul, the question came to me, “Paul, why are you persecuting me?”

What would it mean to persecute Christ?

This was a question that Jesus supposedly asked when Paul encountered Jesus on his trip to Damascus.

Persecute means, to oppress or harass with ill-treatment, especially because of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or beliefs. Its root word means to pursue. This is still rampant in parts of the church. For many pursue those they disagree with with the same hatred that Paul did.

A Pharisee, Paul was an extreme fundamentalist who was zealous in his convictions concerning the law. His zeal was not just an emotional response to his beliefs but rather actual physical actions against those whom he disagreed. He had no trouble with killing those who he viewed were wrong or heretics. Paul was out to “save” God and help restore Israel to its one true God.

Then he encountered Jesus and was shaken to his core and his mission or call was changed.

I often think of those in our society who are being persecuted for their race or sexual orientation by folks out to save the Church. These people often shout from their law book, the Bible. They, like Paul are on a mission with the authority and commission of the chief priests of their tribe. Like Paul, they are masters of the law but have not truly encountered Christ. It's not that these folks don't know God or had a conversion in life, it's that like Paul, they misunderstand their call.

The call is to love, not to condemn.

Jesus’ mission was and is to restore humanity to our true identity in God and declare the “kingdom” of God for everyone in the here and now. It wasn't necessarily a spiritual or relgious message. As the Incarnation in human flesh, it was a human message from God.

Love was his defining mark and principle.
That was his law. Love sets us free. He didn’t defend the law or God, rather through love he opened the eyes of one’s heart so they could see, not only themselves but others through the eyes of Love.

It seems when folks are oppressed or harassed with ill-treatment, especially because of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or beliefs that they are being persecuted. Not only that, Jesus is being persecuted right along beside them.

Jesus stands before us today, just like he did Paul and says, “Here I am. I am real. I love you. I am sending you into the world to be light, to open the eyes of those who are in darkness.”

Once he stood before Jesus Paul was no longer the same, neither are we.