Paul had been passionate his whole life for his people, the Jews. He had fully embraced their religion. He was all in. He learned under the brightest and the best. He wanted all Jews to worship Yahweh. This was Paul’s life passion and hope.
Any Jew who did not follow what he believed Paul persecuted to the point of death (1-5). All Gentiles he despised. He was religious without knowing God. He was like a man who dove into the ocean only to discover he did not know how to swim.
Jesus in grace and truth came to Paul, forgave his sins, and called him to a life of obedience witness (6-10). Paul went from synagogue to synagogue in obedience with the same fervor as before except now he was full of the Holy Spirit. Some Jews believed the gospel he preached. Most violently rejected the good news of the kingdom of God (18). So Jesus sent Paul to the Gentiles (21).
Paul went further and further away from Jerusalem into Gentile lands as Jesus instructed him. Though he was far from the city he loved he had just written to the Romans that he always desires to witness to his people in Jerusalem (Rom. 9:1-5, 10:1).
Now, as a mature man, the opportunity came to witness Jesus to Jews in Jerusalem (1). Paul was standing before a large crowd of Jews in the temple witnessing to them. They intently listened until he told them how Jesus sent him to the Gentiles. Then they shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!” Paul must have been deeply saddened. Paul’s life desire and passion were not fulfilled as he had hoped.
Not all human hopes are achieved as we imagine. For most of my life, I had a hope and passion to develop an environmentally friendly electrical power generator that I developed when I was taking engineering classes at the university. The design would take the money I never had. When I tried to pursue its fulfillment the project never got past theory and initial designs.
While taking college courses I came to faith in Jesus. He called me to a life of faith just as he did Paul. Like Paul, I set aside my life passion and desire to obey Jesus’ direction. Now later in life I sadly find that my life hope and passion have not been fulfilled. I still do not have the financial means to carry it out.
This saddens me but does not devastate me. I am fulfilled in Christ. I have peace of mind and hope for the future in Jesus. I have obeyed his personal call. I will continue to obey.
