BREAKING POINT OR TURNING POINT?
Acts 26:12-19
As I went to Damascus
13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
While living a life that is damaging to Christ and His cause, many people suffer the pangs that come from doubting their own position. They wonder if they are doing the right thing. Something deep down inside tells them that their chosen way is wrong. These thoughts and feelings Jesus referred to as “the pricks.”
The Greek word for “pricks” is kentron which means “a sting; a sharp point; or a goad.” One who drove an ox cart would motivate the animal by poking him with a long pointed stick. Maybe there would be a sharp metal point at the end. This is the image Jesus was presenting in verse 14. The meaning is that Saul/Paul was kicking at or resisting the promptings of his own conscience. He questioned whether his motives and actions were right but kept on in his old traditional way. In addition to his own conscience was the wooing of the Holy Spirit.
One of the more curious verses, in my opinion, is verse 15 where we read Paul asking: “Who art thou, Lord.” The word Lord, kurios, was the common greeting for a person of authority. It is equal to our “sir or mister.” Paul knew deep in his heart the identity of the speaker but he asked for clarification of his suspicion.
Some of you have been journeying in the wrong direction and for the wrong reasons. Yet your conscience has been stinging you. You know your chosen way is wrong but you continue. It is hard for you to kick against those “pricks.” Today is Sunday, a great opportunity awaits you at church to encounter and confront the God who is romancing your soul. This is your turning point. Do not make it your breaking point.
Dear Lord, many are at a crossroad of crisis. Use these circumstances as a turning point for them. AMEN
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