Season 5 - Episode 33

To listen to an audio version of this post, visit www.covenantchurch.ca/podcasts/covenant-weekly.

Good Morning, Covenant Family.

I want to again thank Brent for his sermon on Sunday morning. It was such an encouraging and helpful reminder. I’m really grateful for it. It’s funny to me. In a way, Brent was filling in for Wilfried and for me. When Wilfried was unable to preach, I began thinking through preparation. So when Brent offered to preach, it was something that both Wilfried and I had put some thought into. After the message, Wilfried and I both observed how Brent came into and emerged from the text in a very different way that either of us would have. And we would have looked at it in very different ways, too! What a beautiful and amazing gift we have in Scripture that allows us to turn it in different ways and hear God’s voice in different ways while still being faithful to what has been revealed! And we’re blessed to have different people at Covenant who share in the preaching to help us learn from different perspectives. This morning, I’m going to lean into a slightly different emphasis than Brent took for a very brief time. I want to lean into one thing Jesus says to Saul this morning in the Covenant Weekly for April 21, 2026.

When Saul, on his angry rampage against Christians, was knocked off his horse, the voice he heard said, “Saul. Saul. Why do you persecute me?”

I think we underestimate the strangeness of this question. Saul is, after all, only a person. What theological paradigm allows for a mere man to persecute the God of heaven? And that is who Saul seems to think is speaking to him. Saul’s response seemed to acknowledge the strangeness of the question when he said, “Who are you, Lord?”

Who, in heaven, could possibly be persecuted by a mere man? And how could that being possibly be divine - as this voice seems to be?

But the voice clarifies, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting…”

There are two points of clarification for Paul here.

1. This voice of heaven, this voice of the divine is Jesus.
2. Yes, Saul. You are persecuting the divine as you persecute people.

This aligns with the heart of what Jesus taught. Consider these words of Jesus:
In Matthew 25, Jesus says: ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ (Matthew 25:40, 45)

• In this parable, Jesus is talking about how those who claim to act in his name treat those who are poor and vulnerable.
• When they are treated well, it is the same as doing it to Jesus. When they are ignored, overlooked, or mistreated, it is the same as doing it to Jesus. This aligns with his word to Saul that Saul is persecuting him.

In a text in Matthew 22, says this: Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40)

• Just to be clear, these commands aren’t presented as greatest command 1 and greatest command 2. In fact, they really aren’t presented as 1A and 1 B.
• The little conjunction phrase, “the second is like it” brings them perfectly together. A contemporary equivalent would be to say, “In other words….” You cannot love God with all your heart, soul, and mind without loving your neighbour as yourself. And loving your neighbour as yourself is a part of how one loves God with all their heart, soul, and mind.
• In light of this, acting against another person with persecution is acting against God.

When we as Christians read Jesus’ claim that Saul is persecuting him it is easy to conclude that Jesus is persecuted when we are persecuted. While that is true, it would be wrong for us to presume Jesus is only persecuted when those who are Followers of the Way face mistreatment.

A closer look at the heart of Christ reveals that Jesus feels it, endures it, suffers it, when anyone created in the image of God faces persecution, mistreatment, or injustice. He hurts when we hurt. And he hurts when we hurt others.

This is the depth of God’s love. As I prayed on Sunday morning, God is not phased by our suffering. That is to say, he is not changed, surprised, or  thrown for a loop. But God is touched by our suffering. God is moved. He responds, weeps, and is filled with compassion. This is God’s heart for us. And for those we wish ill of.

Saint Teresa once said this:  “Seeking the face of God in everything, everyone, all the time, and his hand in every happening; This is what it means to be contemplative in the heart of the world. Seeing and adoring the presence of Jesus, especially in the lowly appearance of bread, and in the distressing disguise of the poor.” How we treat others is how we treat God.

May God give us eyes to see Jesus in all we meet. Feet to walk towards them with Jesus’ compassionate pursuit. Lips to speak his encouragement and hope. And hands to show them Jesus’ love.