Primary Witness of the Resurrection
Mary Magdalene as one of the leading women who followed Jesus Christ. She witnessed some of the most important events in all of recorded history--the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. She was such an important witness of these historical events that each of the four gospels mentions her. She was a wealthy woman who had served Jesus Christ during his ministry and given him financial support.
The four gospels were written from four different perspectives over a period of 30 to 40 years. The fact that each gospel names her shows that she was well known as the primary witness to the resurrection.
The other disciples, except John, had forsaken Jesus Christ and fled from his crucifixion and burial. However, Mary Magdalene remained close to him, and she was the first person to see Jesus Christ freed from the chains of death.
Seven Demons
Why was Mary Magdalene such a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ? Well one reason is that she was very thankful because Jesus Christ had cast seven demons out of her as recorded in Luke 8:1-2.
"1And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, 2And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils," (KJV)
Mary was not the only woman who followed Jesus Christ or whom he had healed of diseases of mind and body. Yet, Luke specifically mentions her because Christ had cast seven demons out of her. Jesus Christ had set her free from the bondage of the demonic world.
Prostitute Allegation
Mary Magdalene has often been misunderstood and has been accused of being a prostitute. However, the Bible nowhere identifies her as a prostitute. Why then do many people think that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute? Luke records an incident in which a woman who was a public sinner washed the feet of Jesus Christ with her tears. Some people think that Mary Magdalene was this woman. This incident is recorded in Luke 7:36-39:
"36And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. 37And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. 39Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner." (KJV)
However, scholars think Mary Magdalene is likely not the same woman called a sinner in Like 7:39 because Luke does not provide the name of the woman in Luke 7, but he specifically names Mary Magdalene in Luke 8:1-3.
Allegation that She Was Married to Jesus Christ
Some books such as Holy Blood, Holy Grail and the The Da Vinci Code allege that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene. One of the arguments for Mary Magdalene being married to Jesus Christ is that one of the Gnostic texts states that Jesus Christ kissed Mary. However, greeting one another with a holy kiss was common in that time even as the apostle Paul commanded in Romans 16:16 and in three other places in his epistles.
Gnostic writings were never accepted as a part of the canon of scripture. Even the Gnostic texts nowhere state that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene or any other woman.
Some people argue that Jesus Christ had to have been married because the disciples sometimes called him "rabbi" (Mark 11:21), and a rabbi was usually married. They called him rabbi or master as a title of respect. The word for rabbi or master in Mark 11:21 can mean "my great one or my honorable sir." However, Jesus Christ was technically not a Jewish rabbi and he nowhere stated that he was a rabbi. The disciples sometimes called him a rabbi because he was their teacher, but Jesus Christ did not hold the official Jewish title of rabbi.
According to Smith's Bible Dictionary, there were various forms of the title rabbi with different levels of honor. The lowest level was rab, which meant master. The next level was rabbi, which meant my master; next came rabban, which meant our master; and the highest level was Rabboni, which meant my great master.
In Mark 11:28, the Jews asked him by what authority he did certain things because they knew that he did not hold any kind of formal Jewish position of authority.
There is simply no hard evidence that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene or any other woman. The vast majority of scholars, whether they are liberal or conservative, agree that Jesus Christ was not married.
At the Crucifixion and Burial
Mary Magdalene was present at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as recorded in Matthew 27:55-56.
"55And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: 56Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedees children." (KJV)
While other disciples had forsaken Jesus Christ at his crucifixion, Mary Magdalene and many women showed great courage in being at the crucifixion. Women value relationships very highly. Mary Magdalene valued her relationship as a disciple of Jesus Christ. She was determined to stand by him until the very end. She remembered the healing that he had given her when he cast the seven demons out of her. He had given her a new life, and she would stand by him even in his death.
Mary Magdalene was also present at the burial of Jesus Christ as recorded in Matthew 27:59-61.
"59And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. 61And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre." (KJV)
Yes, Mary Magdalene was also present at the burial of Christ. As the First Day of Unleavened Bread drew near, Mary Magdalene was there to witness the burial of her master and lord. She would later return to the tomb to anoint his body with spices, but she would not find Jesus Christ there.
Witness to the Resurrection
The Apostle John records how Mary Magdalene was a witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ in John 20:1-2.
"1The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. 2Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the LORD out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him." (KJV)
Mary was disturbed. If Jesus Christ were not alive, she wanted to still touch his body and anoint it with spices. She did not want to let go of her master to whom she was so devoted.
She persuaded Peter and John to go to the tomb. They ran to it and looked inside. Then the disciples went home, but Mary Magdalene did not go home. Just as she had remained close to Jesus Christ at his crucifixion and burial, she would remain close to his empty tomb until she saw two angels inside it.
The Apostle John goes on to describe the conversation that Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ had after his resurrection in John 20:13-17:
"13And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my LORD, and I know not where they have laid him. 14And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 15Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. 16Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. 17Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." (KJV)
The Greek work for touch in verse 17 is Haptomai. It means "to cling to." Jesus Christ told Mary Magdalene not to cling to him because his mission was not over until he had ascended to the Father. Jesus Christ gave Mary Magdalene the mission of informing the disciples that he had risen from the dead and would ascend to his Father.
An apostle is one who is sent (Acts 1:21-22). Jesus Christ sent Mary Magdalene to tell his disciples, who would become apostles, that he was alive. For this reason, some early writings refer to Mary Magdalene as the apostle to the apostles. However, she had no authority as an apostle in any official capacity. She was not one of the 12. However, she was honored for her example and devotion.
The fact that Jesus Christ first appeared to a woman and made her a witness of his resurrection is one of the strongest proofs of the truth or historicity of the resurrection account. Jewish law did not recognize a woman's testimony. According to Mark 16:10-11, when Mary Magdalene told the disciples that she had seen Jesus Christ alive, they did not believe her.
However, women were important to Jesus Christ. He appreciated their devotion, especially the devotion of Mary Magdalene. He valued the opinions and the testimony of a woman. If the account of Jesus Christ's resurrection were a mere fable, Mary Magdalene would never have been listed as its first witness.
Conclusion
Mary Magdalene was a wealthy woman; she was a financial success. However, she did not achieve spiritual success until later. Seven demons had possessed her, but Jesus Christ cast them out and healed her. She made changes in her life and became a success story. She sought Jesus Christ with persistence; she sought him with courage; and she sought him with humility. As a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ, Mary Magdalene serves as an inspiring role model for each of us.
Mary Magdalene-A Faithful Disciple of Jesus Christ
Primary Witness of the Resurrection
Mary Magdalene as one of the leading women who followed Jesus Christ. She witnessed some of the most important events in all of recorded history--the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. She was such an important witness of these historical events that each of the four gospels mentions her. She was a wealthy woman who had served Jesus Christ during his ministry and given him financial support.
The four gospels were written from four different perspectives over a period of 30 to 40 years. The fact that each gospel names her shows that she was well known as the primary witness to the resurrection.
The other disciples, except John, had forsaken Jesus Christ and fled from his crucifixion and burial. However, Mary Magdalene remained close to him, and she was the first person to see Jesus Christ freed from the chains of death.
Seven Demons
Why was Mary Magdalene such a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ? Well one reason is that she was very thankful because Jesus Christ had cast seven demons out of her as recorded in Luke 8:1-2.
"1And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, 2And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils," (KJV)
Mary was not the only woman who followed Jesus Christ or whom he had healed of diseases of mind and body. Yet, Luke specifically mentions her because Christ had cast seven demons out of her. Jesus Christ had set her free from the bondage of the demonic world.
Prostitute Allegation
Mary Magdalene has often been misunderstood and has been accused of being a prostitute. However, the Bible nowhere identifies her as a prostitute. Why then do many people think that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute? Luke records an incident in which a woman who was a public sinner washed the feet of Jesus Christ with her tears. Some people think that Mary Magdalene was this woman. This incident is recorded in Luke 7:36-39:
"36And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. 37And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. 39Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner." (KJV)
However, scholars think Mary Magdalene is likely not the same woman called a sinner in Like 7:39 because Luke does not provide the name of the woman in Luke 7, but he specifically names Mary Magdalene in Luke 8:1-3.
Allegation that She Was Married to Jesus Christ
Some books such as Holy Blood, Holy Grail and the The Da Vinci Code allege that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene. One of the arguments for Mary Magdalene being married to Jesus Christ is that one of the Gnostic texts states that Jesus Christ kissed Mary. However, greeting one another with a holy kiss was common in that time even as the apostle Paul commanded in Romans 16:16 and in three other places in his epistles.
Gnostic writings were never accepted as a part of the canon of scripture. Even the Gnostic texts nowhere state that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene or any other woman.
Some people argue that Jesus Christ had to have been married because the disciples sometimes called him "rabbi" (Mark 11:21), and a rabbi was usually married. They called him rabbi or master as a title of respect. The word for rabbi or master in Mark 11:21 can mean "my great one or my honorable sir." However, Jesus Christ was technically not a Jewish rabbi and he nowhere stated that he was a rabbi. The disciples sometimes called him a rabbi because he was their teacher, but Jesus Christ did not hold the official Jewish title of rabbi.
According to Smith's Bible Dictionary, there were various forms of the title rabbi with different levels of honor. The lowest level was rab, which meant master. The next level was rabbi, which meant my master; next came rabban, which meant our master; and the highest level was Rabboni, which meant my great master.
In Mark 11:28, the Jews asked him by what authority he did certain things because they knew that he did not hold any kind of formal Jewish position of authority.
There is simply no hard evidence that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene or any other woman. The vast majority of scholars, whether they are liberal or conservative, agree that Jesus Christ was not married.
At the Crucifixion and Burial
Mary Magdalene was present at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as recorded in Matthew 27:55-56.
"55And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: 56Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedees children." (KJV)
While other disciples had forsaken Jesus Christ at his crucifixion, Mary Magdalene and many women showed great courage in being at the crucifixion. Women value relationships very highly. Mary Magdalene valued her relationship as a disciple of Jesus Christ. She was determined to stand by him until the very end. She remembered the healing that he had given her when he cast the seven demons out of her. He had given her a new life, and she would stand by him even in his death.
Mary Magdalene was also present at the burial of Jesus Christ as recorded in Matthew 27:59-61.
"59And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. 61And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre." (KJV)
Yes, Mary Magdalene was also present at the burial of Christ. As the First Day of Unleavened Bread drew near, Mary Magdalene was there to witness the burial of her master and lord. She would later return to the tomb to anoint his body with spices, but she would not find Jesus Christ there.
Witness to the Resurrection
The Apostle John records how Mary Magdalene was a witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ in John 20:1-2.
"1The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. 2Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the LORD out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him." (KJV)
Mary was disturbed. If Jesus Christ were not alive, she wanted to still touch his body and anoint it with spices. She did not want to let go of her master to whom she was so devoted.
She persuaded Peter and John to go to the tomb. They ran to it and looked inside. Then the disciples went home, but Mary Magdalene did not go home. Just as she had remained close to Jesus Christ at his crucifixion and burial, she would remain close to his empty tomb until she saw two angels inside it.
The Apostle John goes on to describe the conversation that Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ had after his resurrection in John 20:13-17:
"13And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my LORD, and I know not where they have laid him. 14And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 15Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. 16Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. 17Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." (KJV)
The Greek work for touch in verse 17 is Haptomai. It means "to cling to." Jesus Christ told Mary Magdalene not to cling to him because his mission was not over until he had ascended to the Father. Jesus Christ gave Mary Magdalene the mission of informing the disciples that he had risen from the dead and would ascend to his Father.
An apostle is one who is sent (Acts 1:21-22). Jesus Christ sent Mary Magdalene to tell his disciples, who would become apostles, that he was alive. For this reason, some early writings refer to Mary Magdalene as the apostle to the apostles. However, she had no authority as an apostle in any official capacity. She was not one of the 12. However, she was honored for her example and devotion.
The fact that Jesus Christ first appeared to a woman and made her a witness of his resurrection is one of the strongest proofs of the truth or historicity of the resurrection account. Jewish law did not recognize a woman's testimony. According to Mark 16:10-11, when Mary Magdalene told the disciples that she had seen Jesus Christ alive, they did not believe her.
However, women were important to Jesus Christ. He appreciated their devotion, especially the devotion of Mary Magdalene. He valued the opinions and the testimony of a woman. If the account of Jesus Christ's resurrection were a mere fable, Mary Magdalene would never have been listed as its first witness.
Conclusion
Mary Magdalene was a wealthy woman; she was a financial success. However, she did not achieve spiritual success until later. Seven demons had possessed her, but Jesus Christ cast them out and healed her. She made changes in her life and became a success story. She sought Jesus Christ with persistence; she sought him with courage; and she sought him with humility. As a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ, Mary Magdalene serves as an inspiring role model for each of us.
New Life: Finding Your True Purpose
Mathew 10:39
[Jesus speaking to his new disciples] "Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it."
We spend so much time as humans trying to find ourselves, seek out our purpose, and discover who we are about. Personal identity is so important to us. One of the first questions asked by people we meet is about who we are. We are taught that our knowledge, skills, wealth, and the people we know define us.
What if all that is a lie? What if our worth to mankind, to an employer, to ourselves was not based on who we are but on what we stand for, or better yet, who we stand for? Despite the importance that we put on our self-identity, very few people can honestly or sincerely answer the question: "Who are you?" We all struggle to impress others with our own understanding of ourselves, but what difference does it really make? If we cannot ever truly understand ourselves, then why do we waste so much time trying to figure us out?
Would we not be more productive spending our time and energy seeking God, rather than ourselves? Would we not be more productive focusing on uplifting others rather than trying to stroke our inner egos? The world tells us that we cannot be successful unless we first know ourselves. What does that actually mean? People with big egos, people that "know" themselves may appear to be charismatic, celebrities, powerful politicians, or prosperous captains of industry; yet most of these people live behind failed marriages, bodyguards, and overbearing schedules. As Jesus warned, they may have found their life, but at what cost? They have lost their ability to truly live and most pass away from this world having done little good, being known as dictators, greedy thugs, and altogether selfish people. Putting so much effort on ourselves never produces good for others and in the end we become trapped in our own creation. We have defined ourselves into something that we were never meant to be and we are held hostage by the image we created.
The good news is that there is another way. When Jesus said that if we lose our life for His sake we will find it, He was not just talking about being willing to die for what we believe in. He was talking about what we would be willing to live for; a life lived in pursuit of God, a life that puts others before us. The call is not that we must die physically, but that we must put away our own desires, that we must live for a greater pursuit than our own selfish wants.
In Matthew 6:24, Jesus tells us that "we cannot serve two masters." We cannot pursue our own desires while also pursuing the higher calling to help and love others. When we decide to lose ourselves, our eyes can then be opened to a whole new life. Those who are unwilling to accept this may call the new life a life of sacrifice, but what are we truly sacrificing? Nothing, compared to what will be gained. A life lost to ourselves and opened to others is a life without fear of losing all we have worked for. It is a life measured by what we can bring to the world as opposed to measuring success by what we can take from the world.
There are only two paths before us and we must each choose which one we want to follow. The world's path is a path filled with self-loathing as we stumble around trying to figure out who we are and why we are here. Jesus showed us a different path. If we follow Him, our life can be spent living rather than worrying. Christ has given us the authority to be set free from the chains of this world. He simply asks us to change the question; instead of asking "Who are we?" we should ask, "Now that we are here, how can we help?" Either way, we are only on this earth for a short while and nothing will change that. What we do have control over is how we spend our days. Will we be known for who we are or for what we have done? The choice is ours, but don't spend too much time pondering this question. Now is not the time for self-reflection, guilt, or reliving past mistakes. These things are all just examples of seeking the wrong things, of still living as if who we are actually matters. The past is gone, but now we can live free in pursuit of a different path, a more worthy path than ourselves could ever imagine or define.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7598374
Unexpected Truth of God's Blessings
Can a Man Resist God Almighty?
Now that, on the surface, seems like an easy question to answer. God's Word has been published lo these many years. The Judaeo-Christian value system has been proclaimed all over. Why, the very creation cries out about who God is and how He ought to be feared! But men resist these messages every day, every minute! Surely men resist God! This is how man exercises his "free will." All men turn away from God, by nature. There is none righteous, no not one! We are all corrupt, depraved. We established that in point one.
So let's move on to the next point.
Whoa! Not so fast, not so fast. All we are talking about so far is justice. God as law-giver and Judge. Man as law-breaker and condemned. Man has resisted God's law. But there is another process going on at the same time as justice, in the world. It is grace. Can a man resist grace?
God knew from before the beginning which way man was going to go. He knew that man was incapable of fellowshipping with Him, if He did not receive supernatural assistance. All men were given the chance to believe, to obey. All men refused.
But case not closed. Grace was operating in that pre-world era too. When God was doing all His deciding and planning. And grace said that some would be saved. Grace said, did it not, that God's Son would die for that group?
You say, why just that group? Why can't all come to know Him? They have all decided against Him, and are worthy of what they will receive. But grace is a different world, based on His own purposes and desires, not yours or mine. And when that grace enters a man's heart, He is overwhelmed. He cannot kick against the goad any longer. His will yields to this powerful Lover from Heaven. It is irresistible.
Yes, I have just given the classic Calvinist position. But is there not strong Scriptural support?
John 6:44. "No one can come to Me (Jesus) unless the Father Who sent Me draws him... " How does He draw? Through the Gospel, you say? But many are "called" by the Gospel, and many refuse it, because the Gospel message is external only. It cannot penetrate the hard heart of man unless there is a "drawing" that comes from the Father. Internally.
These Pharisees to whom Jesus was speaking, were prime examples of hardness. And Jesus allowed it to be so. He even told His disciples that the Pharisees could not understand parables because it was not "given" to them to do so. It had been "given" to the disciples (Matthew 13:10-17). Why? I have no idea. Nor does anyone, that I know of.
We're talking grace here. Amazing grace. Made all the more amazing because not founded on our normal expectations. Jesus prayed all night, and the next morning He chose 12 disciples. Why those 12? I don't know. They seem like ordinary men to me. Oh, we call them saints now, and so they are, but look at them before Jesus. Fishermen. Tax collectors. You know the list. Not random choosing, but surely choosing known only to God. None of them refused the call of God.
Why you? Why me? No clue. But I do remember the time when the Gospel was so clear to me that there was no way I could have refused it! Irresistible. The words came from outside, from the preacher, from the Bible. The "drawing", the tears, the clear invitation, from within.
The same theme is earlier n John 6: "All that the Father 'gives' to Me will come to Me. And Him that comes to Me I will in no wise cast out!" Just as all those chosen disciples came to Jesus, chosen disciples of all ages still come to Jesus. They can't help it. They don't want to help it.
From the foundation of the world, a group of believers has been assigned to Jesus. They will come to Him. Some in tears, some groaning, some jumping for joy, some with serious professions of faith, but they will come. They will come. And they will not be cast out. (More of that concept in the last point.)
I made mention of "kicking against the goad" above. That's from the conversion story of Saul of Tarsus. Saul was dead set against Jesus. One doesn't get more venomous in his attacks against Christians. He was so very sure that his place in life was to annihilate the Christian name and witness.
Then Jesus came. Quietly at first, it seems. A little nudge here and there. Viewing the victorious death of the first martyr, Stephen, surely helped. The shepherd's stick began to cause greater and greater pain. What's happening to me, Saul must have thought? Why am I losing my enthusiasm for this? Why the doubts and fears about Moses and the law and the Pharisaic way of life?
Then Jesus came big time. You know the story from there. And you now recall the words Jesus spoke: "It is hard for you to kick against the goad." That's the idea. The goad. The stick used by shepherds to push their sheep into the right place when the sheep are going the wrong way. God's grace is entering in. Human habit does try to keep it out at first. But eventually, the love and power of Jesus are so real that the "victim" lays flat waiting only for orders.
Christ conquers the human heart. Human hearts touched by the Father want to be conquered in this way. They yield. Not because they are being given to the Son by the Father in that moment, but because they were given to Him before the foundation of the world. The preaching of the Gospel was merely the means by which God did what He intended to do for eons.
Consider. Saul was not seeking for Jesus. Jesus had been trying to get through to him. Saul was not trying to feel something. Saul was on a mission to oppose this Jesus. What an unlikely candidate! The story makes no sense in the light of many of our evangelistic efforts.
And know this. Trying to reach other "Saul's" in our own day will not work, though God has called a few. The point is that God calls Who He wills. Trying to explain the why and wherefore only leads to confusion. Targeting this group or that because of their "likeliness" to convert is fruitless.
Many persecutors of Christians continue their persecution and kill believers quite successfully. Many "Peter's" go on fishing for fish and care not at all for your Jesus. There are no rules when it comes to the grace of God. Our job is to preach the Gospel, and let God do the drawing. He will.
Remember the text, "You has He made alive, who were dead... " When God's life overshadows a person, death itself cannot resist His will. Saul was essentially dead. And in a moment He was claimed by Jesus. New life entered. Saul had nothing to do with it.
But wait a minute, you say. What about the rich young ruler? He truly wanted Jesus, and Jesus put a roadblock in front of Him. He "came to Jesus" but Jesus cast Him out.
Wait a minute. Jesus was not calling this man first. This man, as you say, came to Jesus. And though Jesus loved Him, and ultimately does not want to reject any man, He knew that this man had already used His free will like all other men, to choose against God, though he seemed so righteous outwardly. This man had another god, and worshiped that god fervently. There was no room in his heart of hearts for the message of Jesus. Jesus did not create this man's problem, but merely exposed it. The man knew Jesus had spoken the truth, and went away in sorrow.
Pursuing God by keeping the law won't do it. God's heart is placed within the man who will truly find God.
When Jesus calls a man, that man knows from the inside that he is being called to give all. Zacchaeus was a rich man also. He was merely a man in the crowd, trying to see the miracle worker. He wasn't planning to confront Jesus. But Jesus knew this was one that had been given to Him. He called him out of the tree where he was watching Jesus, then invited Himself to his home. Salvation came to that house that day.
Why Zacchaeus and not the rich young ruler? The heart of the former was invaded by God, the heart of the latter was not. Notice again that, in the Gospels, whomever Jesus calls, comes? That's the clue we need to see. Only those that the Father calls, will come, even now.
God calls whom He wills, and whom He wills, He hardens. This is difficult to say, but I stand with Paul in saying it, as awful as it sounds to our ears.
What must we conclude? No man truly wants God unless God has first dealt with His heart. This is what caused the disciples to question, "Who then can be saved?" and "Are there many who will be saved?" Indeed the number is a lot smaller than we have imagined.
This bothers you, amazes you, surprises you? Think Noah. One family out of how many in that world? Noah found "grace" (there it is again!) in the eyes of the Lord. Noah. Eight people out of the world.
Think Joshua and Caleb out of all Israel, permitted to enter the Promised Land out of that original group. Joshua and Caleb had hearts for God. Can you see now how they got those hearts?
Paul quotes Hosea (in Romans 9:25-26) as saying that one day He (God) is going to call those who were not His people, His people. It's that simple. There are many surprises still in store from the grace of God. But as we make our rounds in the preaching of the Gospel, God will suddenly speak within people's hearts, and they will know, "I'm one of His. I truly want to follow this Jesus." And Jesus will save them on the spot.
We are not the Savior of the world He is. He will do it. He will change the stubborn heart as we put His truth out there where it can be reached.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9258535
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