My Lunch Date

Someone recently posed the question to me: “Would you rather have lunch with Paul or Moses?”

That was easy for me; Paul, hands down. If I could sit across from him, I would have so many questions! 

I would ask him, "What did it truly feel like in the moment you met Jesus on the road to Damascus?" I can’t even imagine that moment: blinding light, the voice of Jesus; it must have changed everything in an instant.

I would ask, "How did your understanding of God change after that encounter?" I imagine it shattered everything he thought he knew, only to rebuild it on grace.

"Was it hard to forgive yourself for persecuting Christians? How did you process that?" I struggle with my past sometimes and I would love to hear how he made peace with his. 

What does it mean to be “crucified with Christ” in everyday life? That verse has always stirred something in me...but I want to live it, not just quote it. 

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 ESV

What was the “thorn in your flesh,” and how did it shape your dependence on God? We all carry something. His honesty makes me feel less alone in mine.

What advice would you give to today’s leaders dealing with compromise in the church? We need courage and wisdom right now! I bet Paul would speak straight to it.

How did you keep going through beatings, shipwrecks, and rejection? What sustained your joy Paul?! If I could tap into even a fraction of that endurance...if we all could, how much better our lives would be on planet earth right now!

Did you ever feel lonely or misunderstood? How did you handle those moments? Sometimes I feel that way. I wonder what comforted him the most.

You spoke of a “crown of righteousness.” What are you most looking forward to in eternity? I love thinking about that reward; not just for Paul, but for all who long for His appearing.

If you had one last message for believers in this generation, what would it be? Mmmmm...I would lean in for that one. I think we all would.

What a lunch that would be! 

But until then, I’ll keep learning from Paul’s letters, and listening for the same voice that met him on that dusty road, and I will leave you with the words of Paul:

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing." 2 Timothy 4:7-8 ESV

by Jeanette Stark - Monday, May 19, 2025