Sermon for St Edward’s/ Sun 4 May 25 / Reading: Acts 9:1-20
Have you ever watched a movie or TV show and wished you saw more of one of the smaller characters? You know they are so interesting you wish you had seen more of their story even though they are only a bit part? In Shakespeare in Love for example Dame Judy Dench plays Queen Elizabeth I, she won an oscar for her role she was so good, but she was only on screen for 8 minutes in the whole movie! Ann Hathaway in Les Misérables, also won an oscar for a supporting role, was only on screen for 15 mins. Or has anyone seen Hamilton? the King George 3 Character is fabulous and brings the house down whenever he comes on stage but is only on stage 3 times for just a few mins in the whole show.
In good stories there are always good supporting roles too. This morning’s dramatic story is of Saul’s transformation. A story of an amazing encounter with Christ where Saul was transformed from a murderous thug into a person full of the love of Christ and had a name change to reflect that – to Paul. It is a mind blowing transformation and reflects the power and miraculous nature of God. But there’s more people in the story and today I want us to look at the other man who played a part in Saul’s transformation, Ananias. Ananias who appears only twice in the Bible (not to be confused with Ananias and Sapphira who suffered a grisly end). He’s a bit part for sure, but plays an important role in Saul/ Paul’s story.
Ananias we read was a disciple, although he is also referred to as a prophet because as we read here, he hears from God. Later in Acts 22 when Paul is recounting what happened to him, he says Ananias was a devout man, and well spoken of by the Jews in the area. We don’t read much else about him but we can summarise. This was in the early years of the church, ‘The Way’ was a new faith, less than 10 years old. Followers were growing but this was before Paul was out there sharing the gospel and travelling around, of course. And we know that there was much persecution of the early church, Saul himself was: breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples, we read in v1. He approached the High Priest to get his support in invade synagogues in Damascus and arrest any Jesus followers. in Acts 22 Paul says of his former self: (22:4)
I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison
Saul was well known and rightly feared by those who followed Jesus. Ananias knew who he was. When God speaks to him (v. 13) he says he knows who Saul is, he’s heard of how much evil he has done, and he knows why Saul is there in Damascus, to find people like him. And to put them in prison, or worse. Imagine that. God is asking Ananias to approach a man that is persecuting all he stands for. Who he has heard is there to arrest people like him, if not put them to death. Saul was breathing out murderous threats about people like him. And God says, hey Ananias you know that guy that wants to kill you? I want you to go see him. God is sending him into the lion’s den. It is like the plot of a good movie isn’t it?!
We know Ananias is a man of faith and that he hears God. And God tells him some details – look Saul knows you are coming, I’ve told him your name and I’m going to do some big stuff with Saul. I mean no pressure right? God’s already told Saul a man called Ananias is going to come to him. It’s not like Ananias can say, can’t you send someone else? And then God is saying look I have got big plans for Saul, he’s going to bring your faith to gentiles, to kings, to all of Israel. It’s almost like, look Ananias I need you to do this for me, ok? Now we know he was a man of faith but this is a massive ask. This is a test of his faith. How much courage did he need? how much fear did he need to overcome?
And it shows us that God uses normal people for pretty extraordinary purposes. Ananias just a follower of Jesus going about his life, and then God calls him to do something that will change the future of The Way, will impact the whole world for Christ.
Often in the Bible we read of these amazing miraculous encounters, or of God doing dramatic things but we often miss the supporting roles. Have you ever given Ananias a spare thought before? Often God uses normal people to fulfil the kingdom plan. ‘bit parts’ or ‘walk ons’ in movie speak.
And most of us don’t have big dramatic stories of God – some of us do – but most Christians have fairly normal lives living faithfully. But we are all bit parts in the kingdom movie. Sometimes we can see where God has used us sometimes we can’t. Ananias didn’t know the full result of his actions of being faithful. He knows it’s important, God has told him and perhaps he saw some of what happened in the immediate aftermath, but he could have had no idea of the impact his actions will have across the world. Paul’s transformation ended up with a legacy of being a travelling evangelist spread the gospel far and wide, and building the church, which grew to what it is today.
So we might ask, how are we playing our part today? How are we a supporting role in a bigger story? What role has God got for us to play? What is God saying to you today? In the next few weeks we are going to be thiking about how we serve God and the opportunities there are for us within God’s church. Some of you are here and have taken on roles because someone once said to you, try St Edward’s. A bit part in your life brought you here.
Perhaps you have a small part to play in someone coming to faith? You are praying for them every day. Your prayers are joining with others and one day the answer will arrive. Paul’s amazing story needed an Ananias to see God’s plan come to fruition. We are all playing parts in the story of the kingdom of God. No matter how small your role might be, even just a cameo, it’s a necessary part of the story that joins it all together. So let’s keep playing our part.
Amen
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