From Hatred to Love - A Sermon for Sunday April 19 2026

Previously on “The Narrative Lectionary”

we’ve been hearing stories since the fall

about God’s work in calling imperfect people,

unlikely people.

God called Abraham -

an old man with a barren wife

to be the ancestor of a multitude,

God called Isaac -

the laughter child

who followed in his father’s misguided footsteps,

God called Jacob -

the trickster younger brother

who stole his brother’s birthright,

God called Moses -

the Jew raised by Egyptians

who committed murder

but is invited by God to free God’s people,

God called David -

the imperfect,

small-in-stature youngest brother

called to be king.

And then we moved to the most unlikely candidate of all -

Jesus of Nazareth.

God chose to be born,

to grow up as a boy

in a no-good-backwoods town.

This same Jesus hung out with unlikely people:

sinners,

tax collectors,

outcasts,

lepers,

and he called fisherpeople to follow,

Unlikely young people who were not keen enough

to be students of the Rabbis.

In recent weeks we have heard the story in detail

from John’s gospel

about Jesus taking on suffering and death

on a Roman torture tool;

an unlikely death for a King,

but again hearing about God doing the unlikely

and raising Jesus from the dead.

Friends, Christ is risen! Christ is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

God continues to work in the unexpected.

God calls the most unlikely people

- at least by our standards -

to do amazing things in Jesus’ name.

Today we hear another important,

maybe the best example of this - Saul.

Saul, later called Paul,

was a well educated and faithful Jew,

and found himself persecuting Jesus,

persecuting followers of the Way.

He was likely present when Stephen was martyred,

certainly approving of him being stoned.

According to Acts 8, “Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, (and) he committed them to prison”

Invite reader forward.

Today we begin a series of readings about Paul’s life

and later from some of his writings.

The persecutor of Christians makes for an unlikely evangelist,

but God loves to call unlikely candidates

to join God’s work.

And it turns out that, sometimes,

people of faith like you and me,

have difficulty accepting the ones God calls.

So, expecting the unexpected,

Let’s open our hearts to God’s Word for today:

READING: Acts 9:1-19a

Each of us has a story of meeting God’s grace. Saul (later called Paul) was an ardent persecutor of all who followed the Way of Christ. This reading recounts the story of his transformation, beginning with an encounter with Jesus Christ on the way to Damascus.

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles:

1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" 5 He asked, "Who are you, Lord?" The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. 10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." He answered, "Here I am, Lord." 11 The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight." 13 But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name." 15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; 16 I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." 17 So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Word of God. Word of life.

Thanks be to God!

God uses us – broken and ill-equipped people –

God uses our unique gifts,

abilities, skills, passions and interests

for continuing the ministry of Jesus Christ.

God takes the least likely candidates,

least likely instruments,

least likely vessels

for joining God’s work.

God takes that which is broken and mends it

for God’s purposes.

What is broken for us is not broken for God.

Saul was not too broken for God.

But maybe Saul was too broken for Ananias.

Ananias struggled with Saul.

Ananias didn’t like what Jesus was proposing.

Rightfully so.

Someone who is persecuting Christians

and approving of their killing

does not seem like the kind of person

I’d want to welcome

and bless

and lay hands on

and baptize either.

But God wanted Saul.

Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name."

But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen:

We too may struggle with the people that God chooses.

I know I have struggled

with some of the people God has called to serve

Christ’s Church -

and I’ve struggled with some of the people

that God has called me to serve

but that’s my problem,

not God’s.

Ananias was reminded of Jesus’s teaching;

God calls us to love our enemies,

to pray for those who persecute us.

Sometimes God calls us into loving service

with a particular individual,

and for various reasons we wont want to do it.

We might be angry with someone and not want to serve them.

We might hate that person.

we might be afraid of that person,

we might have suffered

on account of that person.

In the words of Jedi Master Yoda,

“Fear leads to anger,

anger leads to hate,

hate leads to suffering.

Fear is the path to the dark side.”

Around eight years ago,

there was a haunting terrorist attack

at the Tree of Life Jewish Synagogue in Pittsburgh PA.

A man who hates Jewish people,

a white nationalist,

an anti-immigration

anti-refugee

terrorist

saw fit to kill 11 people.

“Screw your optics, I’m going in” - he said.

During the shooting,

the shooter, who I refuse to name,

was heard shouting “I want to kill all the Jews”

After the shooting,

As the shooter was receiving medical care

in the emergency room,

he was heard shouting, “I want to kill all the Jews,”

At least three of the doctors and nurses

who cared for the shooter at the Hospital

were Jewish,

according to Hospital President Jeffrey K. Cohen.

Cohen is a member at the Tree of Life Synagogue

where the shooting took place.

He knew 9 of the victims.

But that did not stop him

from going to check in on the shooter

to ask him whether he was in pain or not.

The shooter said he was fine.

In Dr. Cohen’s words:

“He asked me who I was, I said ‘I’m Dr. Cohen,

the president of the hospital,’ And I turned around

and left.” “We are here to take care of sick people.

We’re not here to judge you. We’re not here to ask if

you have insurance… we’re here to take care of

people that need our help.”

Sometimes to be healed means extending healing,

even to those who are filled with hate

and cause the suffering in the first place.

I can imagine the hospital president,

Dr. Cohen,

could have been filled with anger,

hatred,

fear.

He was just like Ananias called to serve Saul.

even so, Dr. Cohen chose to serve,

he chose to love his enemy.

Jesus calls us to love our enemies

and to pray for those who persecute us - for their sake,

and perhaps more importantly,

for our own sake,

I’m called to love my enemies for my own good.

Sometimes to be healed means to extend healing,

Healing cannot be bought.

But it is not cheap.

Healing comes at the expense of arrogance.

Healing comes at the expense of entitlement.

Healing comes at the expense of hate.

Healing comes at the expense of fear.

Healing costs humility.

You are blessed as you are a blessing to others.

By God’s mercy,

I hope you never find yourself in Dr. Cohen’s shoes.

I hope you never have to face an enemy to you,

your congregation,

your people,

like he has.

But you will face enemies.

You will face people who do not agree with you,

people who may wish you harm or defeat.

You will face hatred.

You may face people

who make a mockery of Christ’s work,

who see people,

not as beloved children of God,

God’s image bearers,

but as commodities

or illegals

or unwanted

or outsiders

or different,

or less-than.

Like Dr. Cohen and Annanias,

you too can bear God’s image

and bring God’s healing,

even to your enemy.

Maybe that’s the real conversion in this story,

not so much that Saul was converted,

but Ananias was invited

to convert his fear, hated, and anger,

into loving service.

It is so tempting to fight hate with hate.

I’m sure there was temptation

for those hospital workers

to just let the shooter suffer.

I’m sure there was some temptation for Anaias

to let Saul live in blindness and suffering.

By Christ’s life, death and resurrection,

by God’s work from the very beginning,

to the working of the Spirit today and always -

Hate does not get to win,

fear does not get to win,

love wins.

God’s love wins.

When you find yourself

wanting to say that word of hate

or engage in that act of revenge or fear,

may God give you courage to defeat hate with love,

to conquer fear with peace.

In the words of Jedi Master Yoda,

“Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate,

hate leads to suffering.

Fear is the path to the dark side.”

And in the words of Martin Luther King Jr,

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness,

only light can do that.

Hate cannot drive out hate.

Only love can do that.”

Healing only happens when we humble ourselves

and by God’s Spirit,

we love.

If Dr. Cohen denied health care to that shooter,

it would only make hate grow.

If Ananias didn’t bless Saul,

hatred would have grown.

Like it or not, God chooses unlikely people.

So my question - are you called?

are you the unexpected person that God is calling

to join God’s work in the world

to be a vessel of God’s good news?

are you the person God is calling into loving service?

Are you the person called to love even your enemy?

If you’re thinking Yes,

God is calling me - you’re right.

be opened for the opportunities God gives you

to be a disciple,

to be a witness to God’s love.

If you’re thinking No,

God is not calling me into this….

you might want to think again.