Then Jesus came. Quietly at first, it seems. A little nudge here and there. Viewing the victorious death of the first martyr, Stephen, surely helped. The shepherd’s stick began to cause greater and greater pain. What’s happening to me, Saul must have thought? Why am I losing my enthusiasm for this? Why the doubts and fears about Moses and the law and the Pharisaic way of life?

Then Jesus came big time. You know the story from there. And you now recall the words Jesus spoke: “It is hard for you to kick against the goad.” That’s the idea. The goad. The stick used by shepherds to push their sheep into the right place when the sheep are going the wrong way. God’s grace is entering in. Human habit does try to keep it out at first. But eventually, the love and power of Jesus are so real that the “victim” lays flat waiting only for orders.

Christ conquers the human heart. Human hearts touched by the Father want to be conquered in this way. They yield. Not because they are being given to the Son by the Father in that moment, but because they were given to Him before the foundation of the world. The preaching of the Gospel was merely the means by which God did what He intended to do for eons.

Consider. Saul was not seeking for Jesus. Jesus had been trying to get through to him. Saul was not trying to feel something. Saul was on a mission to oppose this Jesus. What an unlikely candidate! The story makes no sense in the light of many of our evangelistic efforts.

And know this. Trying to reach other “Saul’s” in our own day will not work, though God has called a few. The point is that God calls Who He wills. Trying to explain the why and wherefore only leads to confusion. Targeting this group or that because of their “likeliness” to convert is fruitless.

Many persecutors of Christians continue their persecution and kill believers quite successfully. Many “Peter’s” go on fishing for fish and care not at all for your Jesus. There are no rules when it comes to the grace of God. Our job is to preach the Gospel, and let God do the drawing. He will.

Remember the text, “You has He made alive, who were dead…” When God’s life overshadows a person, death itself cannot resist His will. Saul was essentially dead. And in a moment He was claimed by Jesus. New life entered. Saul had nothing to do with it.

But wait a minute, you say. What about the rich young ruler? He truly wanted Jesus, and Jesus put a roadblock in front of Him. He “came to Jesus” but Jesus cast Him out.

Wait a minute. Jesus was not calling this man first. This man, as you say, came to Jesus. And though Jesus loved Him, and ultimately does not want to reject any man, He knew that this man had already used His free will like all other men, to choose against God, though he seemed so righteous outwardly. This man had another god, and worshiped that god fervently. There was no room in his heart of hearts for the message of Jesus. Jesus did not create this man’s problem, but merely exposed it. The man knew Jesus had spoken the truth, and went away in sorrow.

Pursuing God by keeping the law won’t do it. God’s heart is placed within the man who will truly find God.

When Jesus calls a man, that man knows from the inside that he is being called to give all. Zacchaeus was a rich man also. He was merely a man in the crowd, trying to see the miracle worker. He wasn’t planning to confront Jesus. But Jesus knew this was one that had been given to Him. He called him out of the tree where he was watching Jesus, then invited Himself to his home. Salvation came to that house that day.

Why Zacchaeus and not the rich young ruler? The heart of the former was invaded by God, the heart of the latter was not. Notice again that, in the Gospels, whomever Jesus calls, comes? That’s the clue we need to see. Only those that the Father calls, will come, even now.

God calls whom He wills, and whom He wills, He hardens. This is difficult to say, but I stand with Paul in saying it, as awful as it sounds to our ears.

What must we conclude? No man truly wants God unless God has first dealt with His heart. This is what caused the disciples to question, “Who then can be saved?” and “Are there many who will be saved?” Indeed the number is a lot smaller than we have imagined.

This bothers you, amazes you, surprises you? Think Noah. One family out of how many in that world? Noah found “grace” (there it is again!) in the eyes of the Lord. Noah. Eight people out of the world.

Think Joshua and Caleb out of all Israel, permitted to enter the Promised Land out of that original group. Joshua and Caleb had hearts for God. Can you see now how they got those hearts?

Paul quotes Hosea (in Romans 9:25-26) as saying that one day He (God) is going to call those who were not His people, His people. It’s that simple. There are many surprises still in store from the grace of God. But as we make our rounds in the preaching of the Gospel, God will suddenly speak within people’s hearts, and they will know, “I’m one of His. I truly want to follow this Jesus.” And Jesus will save them on the spot.

We are not the Savior of the world He is. He will do it. He will change the stubborn heart as we put His truth out there where it can be reached.