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Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, amen. Brothers and sisters, looking at that first reading from the book of Acts, the conversion of St. Paul, for the lesson, please be seated. Wow, a church named after me. Interesting. My name, first of all, was Saul, but anyway, there I was, minding my own business and taking a little trip to Damascus.
Well, okay, I really wasn’t minding my own business. You see, back then, my business was getting into the business of the people of the Way. Those followers of that Rabbi Jesus who died, and now they were saying He had risen from the dead. And later on, they became known as Christians, and my business then was persecuting them. Oh, and I was good at it. Back in Jerusalem, I led a house-to-house rampage, dragging these people of the Way to prison. And now, with threats and murder, I was being sent to Damascus to persecute them there.
And somewhere along the way it happened. A light from heaven shone around me, and I fell to the ground and I heard a voice, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” All I could get out of my mouth was “Who are you, Lord?” “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,” He said. Wow, it was that dead rabbi; He’s alive! Yeah, you can bet this was a life-changing event. I’m scary too. My life wasn’t the only thing that got changed that day, but something that didn’t change was my destination. Jesus told me to get up and go to Damascus and wait, so I went.
And what did change was why I was being sent there. I was sent to Damascus now for something different. Instead of going there to persecute Christians, I was sent to meet with one of them, Ananias. Oh, that poor guy. He knew about my reputation, and he must have been scared too. In fact, he even protested to God about it, but God sent him to meet me. This is what God said to Ananias: “Go! He is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.”
So there I was, one who was sent to persecute Jesus and His followers, and yet He considered me a chosen instrument. Chosen for what? First of all, I was chosen to receive God’s forgiveness and grace and mercy. Let me read to you from a letter that I wrote to a guy named Timothy. Yeah, I know, I wrote this and I should have it memorized, but that was a long time ago. And I wrote it in Greek. Okay, so give me a break. I’ll read it.
“I thank Him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because He judged me faithful, appointing me to His service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor and an insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”
Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. The foremost. That means the worst. The worst of sinners. The chief of sinners. There’s even a song to remind me about that. That I am the chief of sinners. And you named a church after me? Are y’all crazy? Because it’s all true; that’s what I am! I was a blasphemer and an insolent opponent, a persecutor of Jesus and His followers, but all that was forgiven in His death and resurrection. Jesus paid for my sins. I was the chief of sinners, but Jesus is the chief of forgivers, and I was chosen for that.
I was a chosen instrument to receive that forgiveness. But I was also chosen for another thing. I was a chosen instrument of God, chosen to be sent. Jesus changed me from a persecutor to an apostle. And apostle, the word apostle, means one who is sent. I was sent to Damascus to persecute Jesus, but now, ironically, Jesus is sending me—sending me to proclaim that yes, indeed, He has risen from the dead! He is risen! Because that is true, I encountered Him on that road to Damascus and was completely changed and, in fact, then chosen to be His instrument, chosen to receive His mercy, but then also chosen to be sent to tell others about this—about the forgiveness of sins of all who will call on His name.
I was sent to tell people that, and I’m here to tell you that today because you need to hear this. Yeah, I did some terrible things in persecuting Jesus and His followers. I’m ashamed of that. But maybe you’ve done some terrible things too. You’re not off the hook today, alright? Maybe you’ve persecuted people by saying or thinking things that are mean or false. Said things that just kind of amounted to just being gossip. They were hurtful and unfair. Or you’ve done things that were against God’s teachings. Maybe you’re ashamed of that. Maybe there’s times you feel like you’re the chief of sinners. Maybe you should feel that way.
But like me, you’re chosen too! You’re a chosen instrument of God, chosen like me to also receive the forgiveness and mercy and grace of Christ—forgiveness for even the worst of your sins, chosen to receive grace for the chief of sinners. Jesus forgives me; He forgives you. By His death and resurrection, Jesus changes you today, changes you from chief of sinners to foremost of forgiven. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—to save you, to save me, even the most chief and foremost of all sinners—He forgives you!
And like me, you’re a chosen instrument. You too are sent—maybe not sent as an apostle, but as a representative of Christ. You’ve been sent out of your sins and into the loving gospel of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. But He also sends you to tell people that good news. Jesus sends you to carry His name and good news to people wherever you are and whenever you’re there. And I bet you know people who need to hear this. You know people who are hurting and people who are burdened by sin, and maybe just even burdened by life itself. They want to hear some good news. And you’re sent to tell them.
Tell them that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners and to save them. They need to hear this. They need you to carry the name of Jesus to them. Now, you church here with my name, St. Paul Lutheran Church, you gather here to receive God’s grace and forgiveness that are sent to you in word and sacrament, but you have a special unique sending. God sends this church into the heart of a city that is full of foremost chief sinners. You’re a chosen instrument sent to opponents of Christ, even persecutors of Him and His followers. But they are people who are hurting, needing to hear the good news of that risen Rabbi.
They need to hear the name of Jesus and what He’s done for you and that He’s done for them. They need to know that Jesus came to save them too. And this church has a unique sending in that—in its location, in its people, in the people you know—God is sending you into that world to carry His name there. And I understand that God is sending you a new shepherd to lead you in your sending. He’ll give you the grace and forgiveness that Jesus sends to you. Your shepherd will always do that for you.
And he will help send you. He will help send this church to carry the name of Christ and His good news into this city. St. Paul Lutheran Church, you have a unique special sending and a shepherd coming to help lead you in that sending. I pray that you have great joy in this—great joy in being ones who are chosen to receive His mercy, but also you’re being sent by God changed. Changed from your sin into His grace and forgiveness. Changed by His forgiveness for you.
I pray that you have that great joy as you go out into this world with His name and proclaim that forgiveness for so many people who need to hear it. Amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
