"YE HAVE DONE IT UNTO ME"

As an officer of the Court Saul had no equal. In his efforts to hale men and women to prison for their faith in Christ Saul's zeal was unmatched. Using today's terminology, Saul would undoubtedly have received the Officer of the Year award from the Optimist Club of Jerusalem in recognition of his tireless attention to duty.

Saul, who later, of course, would become the great Apostle Paul, recounted in his defense to the gathered multitude in Acts chapter 22 that, indeed, he "persecuted this way [believers] unto the death, binding and delivering into prison both men and women" (vs. 5).

In a prior verse in that same chapter Paul stated that he was, as were his brethren, "zealous toward God" (vs. 3), and testified that he had at a previous time secured "letters [arrest warrants] unto the brethren" for which he "went to Damascus, to bring them [Christians] which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished" (vs. 5).

At the stoning of the first martyr, Stephen, Saul stood at the bloody scene "consenting unto his death" (Acts 8:1). As recorded in Acts 8:3, Saul was a man driven by hatred who made "havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison."

Not to belabor the point, but before King Agrippa Saul (now Paul) confessed his prior hatred toward the followers of Christ and the One whom they faithfully served. In Acts 26:9-11 Paul declares:

"I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities."

With grief and shame and perhaps through tears Paul rehearsed before all who would hear the inescapable fact that prior to his conversion he not only imprisoned the saints, but further testified against them at their death sentencings, punished them, persecuting and compelling them to blaspheme. Oh, how Saul hated Christians and Christianity!

Yet when Saul met the Lord at midday on the Damascus Road and fell to the earth a blind man, he heard a voice from Heaven saying, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" (Acts 26:14). Similarly, the Lord answered Saul's understandably anxious question of "Who art thou, Lord?" with the words, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest" (Acts 26:15). Had Saul persecuted Jesus? Jesus was in Heaven; therefore, how could it be possible that Saul had personally maltreated the Savior as Jesus Christ Himself had so emphatically affirmed?

To answer the above question let us turn our attention to verse 31-46 of Matthew chapter 25. These particular verses cover the Lord's judgment of the Gentile nations. In the reference Bible bearing his name, Dr. C.I. Scofield writes of this passage that "The test in this judgment is the treatment accorded by the nations to those whom Christ calls 'my brethren.' These 'brethren' are the Jewish Remnant who will have preached the Gospel of the Kingdom to all nations during the tribulation."

In these verses one will discover that the Lord Jesus Christ rewards those nations who fed, watered, lodged, clothed and visited His Jewish brethren while damning those who did not. Perplexed, the nations ask the Lord, "When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? (Matthew 25:38-39; 44). Notice carefully Jesus' reply to the blessed nations: "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (vs. 40).

Is it not plain from what we have just read in Matthew 25 and from what we learned from the Lord's dealings with Saul of Tarsus outlined above that an attack upon the people of God is an assault upon Jesus Christ Himself? According to 1 Corinthians 12, believers are members of Christ's body. Therefore, when Saul persecuted the saints he was persecuting the Savior. When Saul lifted up his brutal hand to punish Christians he was unknowingly punishing Jesus Christ. When Saul gleefully cast believers into the muck and mire of a damp, cold prison he was in reality hurling the Lord into the quagmire with them. Thus the thrust of Jesus' inquiry to Saul was, "Why persecutest thou ME?" (captitals mine).

We often hear preaching today in some circles condemning the lifting up of the hand against the Lord's anointed. The context in which this is preached almost entirely centers around one standing in opposition to the pastor or preacher. However, every true believer is the Lord's anointed and if it is a sin to eat the preacher for lunch (as indeed it is), then may this writer hasten to add that it is just as equally sinful for preachers to chew up one another's members for supper.

I would doubt any one of us have stoned another believer, thrown them into prison, or punished them physically in any way whatsoever. But what about that critical tongue and cynical attitude that longs to assassinate fellow Christians if given the slightest opportunity? May we be reminded should we succumb to disparaging, criticizing and maligning other believers we are, in fact, denigrating the Lord Jesus as we do.

If Jesus walked among us today would He be forced to ask of us, "Why persecutest thou me?" in response to our negative treatment of His children? "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Think about it. God bless and thanks for reading. David.