Damascus road experience; road to Damascus

an event or journey that leads to new insight and dramatically changes one’s life
—Having a starving child die in his arms was his Damascus Road experience, causing him to give all his money to help the poor.

have scales fall from one’s eyes

to suddenly understand something clearly
—Mr. Fort is the best teacher I’ve ever known. When he explains algebra, you can see the scales fall from the students eyes.

Forty days after his resurrection, Jesus ascended to heaven. His disciples spread his message, and many people became his followers. As the new church began to grow, it faced persecution from the Jewish authorities. One of the Jewish enemies of the church, Saul, was traveling to Damascus to arrest Christians there, when Jesus appeared to him:

As he was going along, approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” So he said, “Who are you, Lord?” He replied, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting! But stand up and enter the city and you will be told what you must do.” (Acts 9:3-6)

When Saul got up and opened his eyes, he was blind, so Saul’s traveling companions led him into Damaascus. Jesus then told a Christian named Ananias to go to Saul,

So Ananias departed and entered the house, placed his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes [there fell from his eyes as it had been scales], and he could see again. He got up and was baptized. . . . (Acts 9:17,18)

After this experience, Saul became a new man, with a new name (Paul), a new title (apostle), and a new purpose (preaching about Christ and writing much of the New Testament).