¹⁰Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” ¹¹And 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, ¹²and 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.” ¹³But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; ¹⁴and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”

Unsung hero of the faith, Ananias is mentioned only here in Scripture, but his impact on the history of Christianity has been enormous. Consider also, from a human perspective, the risk he was taking. His objection amounted to questioning God: “Lord, do You understand who this guy is?!” This may seem disrespectful and insubordinate, but from a human standpoint, who among us wouldn’t have thought the same thing? Saul was a murderous man, deserving of God’s harshest judgment.

Ananias was not a man given to defiantly doubting God. His simple and instinctive response to the Lord when He called his name was, “Here I am, Lord.” This is a statement of readiness to do God’s will before knowing what that is. He was essentially saying, “Lord, I am at Your service. You name it and consider it done.” He falls in line with great people of faith, like the boy Samuel, who answered the Lord’s call, “Here I am” (1 Sam. 3:4), or Isaiah, who responded to the Lord’s vision, “Here I am, send me” (Isa. 6:8).

But what about Ananias’ hesitation to lay hands on Saul? This was an honest recoil of the heart. Did not Mary respond at the announcement that she would give birth to the Messiah, “How can that be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34). Given the magnitude of Saul’s evil actions, God required a man of faith and loyal obedience, for this would go against the sensibility of even the godliest person. Ananias was the man!

God gives him detailed instructions so there would be no mistaking the identity and location of the man whom Ananias was to find. Undoubtedly, the apostle Paul would have had these etched into his mind and later conveyed the particulars to Luke, who accompanied him at various times his second and third mission tours; and so Luke records them here for us.

The message of the gospel is for all. No one is outside the reach of God’s grace—not those of opposite political stripe, your antagonistic coworker, or the seemingly most hardened opponent of the gospel. God’s reach is unlimited.

Lord, I ask You to save that person who comes to my mind right now.