The riot at Ephesus has been calmed and now Paul sets out on his next journey.
"When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia." (Acts 20:1) In yesterday's study Luke told us that Paul was already planning to go up to Jerusalem and to pass through Maceonia and Achaia on his way. Before he departs from Ephesus he calls for the believers there and speaks words of encouragement to them.
"He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia." (Acts 20:2-3) He learns of a plot against his life and changes his travel plans. His enemies either bought passage on the same ship or hired assassins to be on board the same ship. The plan was to kill him and dispose of his body at sea.
"He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days." (Acts 20:4-6) Luke speaks in the first person to remind us he is with Paul and that he is an eyewitness to many of the things that happen in the book of Acts. Luke spends Passover week with Paul at Philippi before they join the other men at Troas.
"On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting." (Acts 20:7-8) Everyone's stomach is full, the room is stuffy because of all the lighted lamps, and the hour is growing late. One young man evidently begins to feel overheated and drowsy, so he decides to sit on the window sill in the hope that fresh air will make him feel more alert.
"Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on." (Acts 20:9a) We've all been someplace where a speaker talked on and on, causing us to have difficulty staying awake. Isn't it nice to know that even Paul, gifted speaker though he was, couldn't always keep everyone in his audience awake? This should encourage us not to feel hurt when it seems like others aren't paying much attention to what we're saying. There could be other factors at work other than disinterest. Eutychus wouldn't be present at the assembly if he wasn't interested in what Paul was saying, but it's late and he's tired and the room is too warm. He simply can't hold his eyes open.
Eutychus' choice of seating proves to be unwise. "When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead." (Acts 20:9b) Imagine the horror everyone in the room experiences as they see Eutychus fall from the window. Part of the crowd likely rushes to the window to shine lanterns down while the other part, including Luke, rushes down the stairs to see if anything can be done for the young man. Now we see why Dr. Luke was so careful to tell us he is with Paul at this point. He wants us to understand there is no doubt whatsoever that Eutychus is dead. Luke knows a dead man when he sees him. Eutychus is not breathing and he has no heartbeat. His death occurred as soon as he hit the ground, quite possibly from a massive brain injury. Even if this happened in our own times I doubt CPR or skilled surgery could do anything to revive him.
Paul runs to the scene of the accident, but as soon as he sees the face of Dr. Luke and the faces of the others gathered around the body he knows that the young man is dead. He knows Eutychus is dead--- but he makes a statement to the contrary. "Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. 'Don't be alarmed,' he said. 'He's alive!'" (Acts 20:10) Is Paul disputing the expert opinion of Dr. Luke? Is he denying what the crowd can see with their own eyes? No, when Paul throws himself down he is doing the same thing the prophets Elijah and Elisha once did. Elijah raised a child from the dead in 1 Kings 17:17-24 and Elisha raised a child from the dead in 2 Kings 4:32-37. In both cases we find the prophets lying down on the bodies and asking the Lord to bring life back into them. I think this is what the Apostle Paul does when he throws himself down onto the body of Eutychus. When he stands up from the ground, the young man stands up with him. Then the entire group goes back inside.
"Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted." (Acts 20:11-12) Dr. Luke saw the young man fall from the window. He pronounced him dead at the scene, then he heard Paul pronounce him alive through the power of Jesus Christ. Luke witnessed the young man walking back up the stairs to the upper room where everyone ate an early morning meal together. Then, as the mission group departed, Luke was there when the young man walked back home with his friends. There is no doubt he was dead and there is no doubt he was fully restored to life. Eutychus, who previously lay broken and lifeless on the ground, is able to walk and talk and eat just as if he never fell from the window in the first place. Luke knows a miracle when he sees one. He knows that the recovery of this young man was accomplished not through any medical skill but through the power of the living Savior.
No comments:
Post a Comment