Paul was on his way to Damascus to persecute those who believed in Christ. In Acts 9, verse 1, we meet Saul of Tarsus, breathing strangely. He is breathing threats against the disciples of Christ. It is the picture of an angry, violent man convinced of his righteousness. His deep-rooted bitterness had been lashed on the believers in Jerusalem as recorded in Acts 8: 3, “But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.”
Saul did not relent in his anger and violence. In his zeal, he embarked on a journey to Damascus to cause more havoc and terrorize the believers. As a devout Jew, he believed that persecuting the Christians was a way of showing his devotion to God. But he had an unforgettable encounter with the LORD Jesus. The Bible says,
“And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” Acts 9: 3-5.KJV.
Jesus, the Light of the world, shone around Saul. To be a Christian, the LORD must shine into man’s heart to be saved. To be a Christian, one must receive the Light, the knowledge, and the awakening that Jesus is the Savior, the Son of God. Saul became attentive. The confrontation with the LORD follows this. Jesus tenderly confronted Saul of his significant error. He was charged with terrible sin, opposing and persecuting the LORD Jesus Himself. Jesus did not accuse him of persecuting the disciples because anyone who persecutes the least in the Body of Christ is persecuting the LORD Jesus Himself.
This was a real eye-opener. That every stone cast at Stephen was a stone cast at Jesus. For every man and woman Saul dragged into prison, Jesus said He was the One imprisoned. Everyone he abused because of his zeal for what he believed was done against Jesus Himself. The summary was that Saul had been rebelling against the true God. In desperation, Saul cried out. Who are you, Lord? Please tell me who you are. Tenderly, Jesus introduced Himself, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest:”
Jesus continued, “It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” (All translations, except the KJV and NKJV, omit the phrase from Acts 9:5).
For the first time, Saul realized he had been rebelling against God. By kicking against the pricks, he had been harming himself. Pricks are commonly known as ox-goads. They are sharp pieces of iron stuck into the end of a stick with which the ox is prodded when plowing. The prick is to direct the animal in the right direction, but when the animal rebels by kicking out at the prick, it would be driven deep into its flesh. In essence, the more an ox rebelled, the more it suffered.
As a Christian, do you submit willingly to the direction of the Word of God? Just as the ox serves its master willingly, let us endeavor to do the same. Stop kicking against the pricks. Submit to God’s direction through His Word and serve Him willingly.