The life of Paul was changed forever when he met Jesus Christ through His blinding Light on the Damascus road.  He is sent to Ananias who at first questions the Lord’s instructions to witness to Paul, but Ananias is obedient to the Lord.  (Acts 9)  It is through Ananias’ hands over Paul’s eyes, laying on hands of heat from Christ’s Light, that the shackles fall off– all because the Lord makes it so.

Ananias is obedient to the Lord Jesus because of the power of the Holy Spirit in his spirit.  Holy Spirit’s power makes us able to love the one most unlovable.   For you see, before he was transformed by Christ notorious Paul hunted down Christians, those whom Ananias loved deeply and trusted unwaveringly.  Paul also stood by while Stephen was unmercifully and cruelly stoned to death.  Ananias knew Paul as a murderer.

But had it not been for the love which Jesus Christ put into Ananias’ heart, the type of love that’s in our hearts too, a hesitant Ananias could not and would not have done what he did for Paul.  Ananias took Paul into his home and heart. Ananias loved him, taught him about Christ and faith, and cared for Paul with Christ-like compassion.

This is the type of love that is in our hearts too, hesitant though we are sometimes.  Jesus Christ’s love given to us through Holy Spirit.  Jesus Christ’s love for us took Him to the Cross to die for us so that we will not die but will Rise like Christ.  Jesus Christ’s love is poured into us the moment we give our lives to Him, and love grows fuller as we commune with Christ.

Jesus says that the greatest love is to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  He has done it for us.  This is what we do for others.  Jesus chooses us to love those who are the most difficult to love, to use our faith to bring friends into the folds of His love, and to teach the children of the world to love their friends like Jesus loves them.  Jesus has chosen us to love others.  We do just that and brush hesitations aside.

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command you.  I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.  You did not choose Me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask Him in My Name.  I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.  John 15:12-17