“And the Lord said to him, ‘Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, 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.’ But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.’ But the Lord said to him, ‘Go…'” (Acts 9:11-15).

In the account of Saul’s miraculous transformation for persecutor to persecuted, the word “Lord” appears 8 times (Acts 9:1, 5, 10-11, 13, 15, 17). “Lord” here not only highlights Yeshua’s divine identity, but also his divine authority. It is quite ironic, therefore, that Saul the unbeliever, upon discovering that Jesus is “Lord” (9:5), immediately obeys the command to get up and enter the city (9:6-7). Ananias on the other hand, when commanded to get up and go to Saul (9:11-12), hesitates (9:13-14), even though he has already known for some time that Jesus is Lord (9:10). Sometimes the meaning of “lordship” is more clearly understood by those outside the church than those who belong to it. Luke does not tell us that Jesus was angry with Ananias, nor does Luke question the genuineness of Ananias’ salvation. But we do see how Jesus ultimately prevails over this disciple’s struggle to obey his Lord, and this for one simple reason: It is possible to say “no,” and equally possible to say “Lord,” but it is completely illogical and ultimately impossible for us to continue saying “No Lord!”

“So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit'” (Acts 9:17).