June 15, 2014: Words That Bring Leprosy – Landon Lynch

Saul is breathing out murderous threats against the Christians when he is confronted by Jesus. The experience leaves him blind. Thousands of years before that Miriam spoke against Moses. The result was that she was struck with leprosy. This led the rabbis to teach that when one spoke evil, God would strike them with leprosy. 

Which brings us back to Saul. He is speaking evil words, and is blinded by “scales” on his eyes. The word in Greek is lepra - the root of the word leprosy. How would Saul, a devout Jew, have felt in this moment? In his encounter with Jesus he was confronted with his own sin – and this led to his conversion.