As [Saul] neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
- Acts 9:3-4

Me.

Saul helped to murder Stephen. Saul went from house to house in Jerusalem dragging Christians away into prison. Saul actively sought to expand his Jesus-follower persecution franchise to nearby markets. But when God steps in to stop him, Saul hears this astounding, shocking, terrifying, beautiful word: “me.”

“Why do you persecute me?” Listen to the force of that “me.”

In the verses that follow we’ll discover that this voice speaking to Saul turns out to be the voice of Jesus. Jesus identifies so closely with his people that he doesn’t separate the things done to them from things done to him. Persecute Jesus’ church and you’re persecuting Jesus.

If you’ve read the Gospels, you’ve heard Jesus take this line before … in a positive direction. Help the poor, the immigrant, the widow and Jesus will act as if you did those very same charitable deeds for him.

Jesus isn’t just alive on the other side of the cross and the empty tomb, he’s present in the lives of his people. When we suffer and serve, when we sing and sacrifice, when we witness and worship, he’s fully present.

Jesus is with you today. He’s so close to you. When people harass or help you, he’s right there. Nothing can separate you from him and nothing ever will.

The reality of Jesus’ radical identification with us gives us both comfort and courage. When people mess with us, they’re also messing with Jesus. He sees and knows everything. He can keep track of everything that’s happening. He’s with us. And with him we can endure anything he asks us to endure.

What difference does it make to you that Jesus closely identifies with you today?