Who are you, Lord? I am Jesus the Nazorean, whom you are persecuting. The Church commemorates today the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, one of the most touching events in the history of the early Church. It is a story that is recounted more than once in the Acts of the Apostles, the first time as part of the developments in the early Church (cf. Acts 9:1ff), and then later on by Paul himself as part of his defense (cf. Acts 22:1-11, 26:12-18). It is the latter instance that we hear about in today’s First Reading.
Following Paul’s arrest, and in what would become his last address to his fellow Jews in Jerusalem (cf. Acts 22:1ff), Paul gives a detailed narration of his encounter with Christ, an event which he credits for his choice to embrace the Christian faith. Aware that there were many on both sides who were skeptical of his embrace of the very cult he had fiercely persecuted, Paul made it clear that his actions against the Christians were not driven out of malice but rather because he was zealous for God. He had felt that it was his duty to see to the preservation of the faith of his ancestors (from where he stood as Jew, he believed he was doing God’s work). This became his mission until he encountered Jesus the Nazorean. While we might not know the full details of what went on inside of him during and after his encounter with Christ that made him to make such a drastic turn-around in his faith life, there is one thing that clearly stands out, something that is central to the Christian faith: Jesus identifying himself with his followers. When after being thrown on the ground a voice asked Paul why he was persecuting him, Paul responded by asking who it was who was speaking to him. He was aware that having persecuted so many Christian men and women, it was impossible for him to know them individually. He got an answer, but probably not one that he had expected: “I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.” As far as we are aware, Paul never personally encountered Jesus during his (Jesus’) years of ministry. Jesus had been dead for twenty or so years by the time Paul was leading the fierce persecution against the Way. Jesus was dead, he knew it, and everybody knew it. Yet, it was this very Jesus that Paul was persecuting. This, among many, must have contributed to Paul re-thinking his stance.
Jesus had promised his disciples that he would be with them till the end of time (cf. Matthew 28:20) . And in Jesus’ response to Paul, we see him making true of this promise. Jesus does not tell Paul that I am Jesus Christ, the founder of the Way that you are persecuting. He does not tell Paul that I am Jesus Christ, the leader of this group you are fighting. No. Jesus identifies with his persecuted disciples. He tells Paul: I am the Way that you are persecuting; I am this group that you are persecuting. You have not been persecuting James or Peter or John. You have been persecuting Jesus of Nazareth. Upon encountering Jesus, Paul becomes a changed man. He is never the same after this encounter. His whole life becomes turned upside down. What had made sense to him earlier ceases to do so. He embarks upon a journey, a journey that will test his limits. But he will be able to pass the tests, because he believed that what Jesus had said about his disciples whom he (Paul) had had persecuted, would also apply to him. Jesus was going to be with him to the end.