he appeared to me

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15

Now I should remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain.  For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.^* Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to someone untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace towards me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.

Observation:

Paul was sent to the Gentile world, religious outsiders, non-Jews- people who were not educated in the story of God and the faith of the Jewish people.  He was sent to share their message about Jesus, a Jewish Rabbi who was killed by the Romans for a crime he didn't commit.  He was raised from the dead and appeared to his followers.  Paul himself, a persecutor of the Christians, encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. He was on that road to find and arrest followers of Jesus who were spreading "the lie" about his resurrection. Then, Paul has a vision.  He sees Jesus.  And is struck blind.  He is led to a city, where a disciple of Jesus tends to him and heals his blindness.  And that changes the direction of his life.  He was not part of Jesus' inner circle, was an opponent to the Christian community.  And then, something happened to him that turned him around 180 degrees. He became the most important figure in 1st century Christianity, and the writer of 2/3 of the New Testament. Paul made the Jewish story of salvation accessible to everyone.  Because he believed if this was good news for him, it was good news for everybody. 

Application:

Anyone can become part of what God is doing to rescue the world from the powers of evil, suffering, and death .  The firmest opponent, anti-church person can become an integral part of the gospel mission.  Paul had a kairos, as one untimely born, and it changed his life.  Nobody is beyond the reach of Jesus, who desires that everyone experience the power and freedom of his resurrection. What would the church be without Paul's ministry, witness, and writings?  We all know someone who is not a "church person".  So, what good news do we have to offer people?  What kairos experiences of God's grace might we share?  Where have we seen the risen Jesus changing hearts and minds, inviting people into his life, giving peace and healing and love?  What great mercy work do we get to participate in and share with others?      

Prayer
Jesus, 2,000 years later you still come to us.  We see you.  In the homeless mother;  In the hospice nurse's compassionate care; in the lives of our friends doing what they can to serve their neighbors.  Help us to recognize you among us and tell others who and what we see.  Amen.