There are two reasons why Saul was blind. First, God wanted to prevent him from causing harm to others, like how God blinded the men of Sodom in Genesis 19:11. Second, Saul was spiritually blind due to his hardened heart, which was gradually softening (Isaiah 42:7, 16). Jesus' vision doesn't convert Paul outright; instead, it confronts him to draw him closer to Himself. This is a pattern we see with all people, as Jesus aims to draw everyone to Him (John 12:32-33, 2 Peter 3:9). Therefore, Paul's story is crafted this way to emphasize that God's plan involves using people, like Ananias, to lead others to Christ.

Ananias, an obedient believer, is called upon by God to go and minister to Paul, despite the danger involved. Ananias obeys, and through his actions, God's plan unfolds. God softens Paul's hardened heart, and his mission of violence comes to an end. Paul's baptism signifies his conversion (Acts 8:35-38). It is remarkable that God used Ananias, someone relatively unknown, to lead Paul, who would become one of the greatest evangelists of all time, to Christ. This exemplifies a recurring theme in Acts, where God works through the obedience of believers to bring others to Christ.

Today, many people worldwide have visions of Jesus, and in these encounters, Jesus often directs them to meet a missionary who will share the gospel with them. Jesus appears not only to non-Christians but also to Christians, commissioning them to reach out to unbelievers

The account in Acts 9:1-25 teaches us several important points:

1. God draws individuals to Himself. It reminds us that no one is beyond the reach of God's grace and that even the most hardened hearts can be softened through a personal encounter with Jesus.

2. God sends obedient believers to lead others to Christ and disciple them. God often works through the obedience of His followers to bring about His purposes. It also underscores the significance of ordinary believers, like Ananias, in God's grand plan of reaching others with the gospel.

3. God's purpose is for new believers to immediately begin sharing their faith and making disciples. It's a call to action for every believer to be actively involved in the Great Commission and play a part in the chain reaction of disciple-making that can reach the whole world with the Gospel.

This story also relates to missions. In Acts 9:15, Paul is chosen to carry God's name to the Gentiles, kings, and Israelites, which encompasses all nations. This aligns with the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), where Jesus commands us to make disciples of all nations. Our mission is to share the gospel with people, lead them to Jesus, and help them become disciple-makers themselves. This chain reaction of disciple-making can spread the Gospel across the world.

To fulfill our mission, we need to:

· Make disciple-makers.

· Intentionally befriend non-Christians.

· Stay focused on Christ.

· Share the gospel consistently.

· Intercede for non-Christians.

· Obey all of Christ's commands.

· Remember God's global perspective.

The normal Christian life involves being active in making disciples and raising up disciple-makers. By obeying Jesus' mission, we can see a transformative impact on the world today. Let's start helping others explore their faith, grow in Jesus, serve others, and experience transformed lives. The harvest is plentiful, but there is a need for more workers (Matthew 9:37). So, let's be obedient to the Lord's call and begin our mission to change the world!