The Way

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

THE WAY

Acts 9:1-6

9:1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"  5 "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. 6 "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." 

NIV

It is not as easy to interpret this Greek word which is translated here as meanwhile. The raw meaning is “but” or “and”. However, it can be used as a transition to something new. In this case Luke was going from a narrative regarding Philip to one about Saul. It could indicate that what was happening in the life of Saul was going on at the same time or around the same time as what was going on in the life of Philip. Therefore, the meanwhile might be the best way to explain that. Now, we have Saul and he was the one giving approval of the stoning of Stephen. Now he was wanting to go after all those that were in the Way. Luke tells us that Saul was breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He was wanting more believers to be stoned, to be put to death, perhaps even convince the Romans to crucify some of them. Either way Saul got approval from the high priest to travel to Damascus in search of more people in the Way. It is interesting the Greek word translated as “way” simply means the road. However, it carries the implication of progress, or the journey, a way to travel. Jesus used this word to describe himself being the truth, the life, and the way. We are people of the Way. We are traveling the path laid out for us by the Lord, as he is the light unto our path, the way we should go. That is the choice we made, to travel the way the Lord has shown us, and continues to lead us. It is easy to find other roads, some of them of our own design, others built by Satan. Both those roads come with either bitterness, guilt, shame, hatred, jealously, envy, pride, and all sorts of discontent. But we must stay on the course the Lord has lite the way for us, as it brings us peace and love, freedom from guilt and shame and it brings us life. It may be a bit narrow, but it is easy, for his yoke is easy and his burden his light, and by staying on this road we are assured of rest for our souls. That rest is not the one we will have when we are in heaven, but it is a rest we have while we are yoked with Jesus on the path of life. Saul is going to find that out as he travels his own road. Jesus interrupts Saul’s plan with a mighty show of power. We may not all have gotten that kind of display of power when Jesus interrupted our lives, as we traveled our own paths. Nevertheless, Jesus did come and interject His power in our lives. Somehow, however it happened, Jesus made himself known to us, and brought change to the course of our travels forever. He showed us the light and shown it upon the path he wanted us to go. A journey Saul is about to take and will forever be so different then his present path. This is the same that has happened to us. We can never go back to that first path, it is lost forever, in fact, Jesus demolished it. We have but one path, one Way to go.