Acts 22:12-16: a reflection

12“One Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews who lived in Damascus, 13came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ In that very hour I looked up at him. 14He said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth. 15For you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

When Ananias comes to the newly converted Saul, having restored his sight and told him of the calling God has for him, he presses upon Saul a pointed question: Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Saul had encountered the Lord; the way forward was clear; and Ananias urges him not to delay, but to act, to arise and respond without waiting. Why do you wait? he asks: the time to respond was now, not later.

Notice the urgency in Ananias's question: why do you wait? He does not counsel Saul to take his time, to put off responding until later; he presses him to act now, to arise and be baptized and call on the Lord without delay. The response to God was not to be deferred; the time was now. Ananias saw no reason to wait once the way was clear, and urged Saul to respond at once. Why do you wait? was a call to act, not to put off, to respond to God now rather than later.

That question, why do you wait?, is worth pressing on ourselves, for we can know what God calls us to and yet delay responding. We can put off obeying, put off turning to God, put off the step we know we should take, telling ourselves we will do it later; but Ananias asked Saul, why do you wait? The time to respond to God is now, not some deferred later. When you know what God calls you to, do not delay in responding, telling yourself you will do it eventually; hear Ananias's question, why do you wait? and respond now. Do not put off obeying God, or turning to him, or taking the step you know you should take; the time is now, as Ananias urged Saul to arise and act without waiting. Respond to God without delay, rather than deferring what you know he calls you to, for the time to answer him is now, as Ananias pressed Saul, why do you wait? arise and call on the name of the Lord.

Lord, when Ananias came to the newly converted Saul, having restored his sight and told him of the calling you had for him, he pressed upon Saul a pointed question: now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Saul had encountered you; the way forward was clear; and Ananias urged him not to delay, but to act without waiting. Why do you wait? he asked: the time to respond was now. Show me the urgency in Ananias's question: why do you wait? He did not counsel Saul to take his time, to put off responding; he pressed him to act now, without delay. The response to you was not to be deferred; the time was now. Let me press that question on myself, for I can know what you call me to and yet delay responding. I can put off obeying, put off turning to you, put off the step I know I should take, telling myself I will do it later; but Ananias asked, why do you wait? The time to respond to you is now. When I know what you call me to, keep me from delaying in responding, telling myself I will do it eventually; help me hear Ananias's question and respond now. Keep me from putting off obeying you, or taking the step I know I should take; the time is now, Lord. Help me respond to you without delay, rather than deferring what you call me to.