Reading for March 7-11
Acts 20
Wednesday
Killed by a Sermon
“On Sunday we met to break bread. Paul was discussing {Scripture} with the people. Since he intended to leave the next day, he kept talking until midnight. . . . .
A young man named Eutychus was sitting in a window. As Paul was talking on and on, Eutychus was gradually falling asleep. Finally, overcome by sleep, he fell from the third story and was dead when they picked him up.
10 Paul went to him, took him into his arms, and said, 'Don't worry! He's alive!' 11 Then Eutychus went upstairs again, broke the bread, and ate. Paul talked with the people for a long time, until sunrise, and then left." Acts 20:8-11 (GW)
Pastor’s Reflection
Great story!!! Paul bores Eutycus to death, prays for him, he’s revived, and Paul just goes back to teaching! In one way Eutychus’death was just a brief interruption! In another way it’s a demonstration of the of power of God that appears to have accompanied Paul.
We also learn more of how church worked. It was evening because people worked during the day. Sunday was a regular work day. Actually this is the earliest reference we have to Christians worshiping on the first day of the week. Also Paul didn’t just preach. It was more like a small group bible study. They had back and forth discussions. And they had communion together. Fellowship, gathering on Sunday, the Word preached, and communion; all aspects of worship in the early church.
It’s kind of cool. We see the grand sweep of God’s salvation history being worked out in the person of Jesus and now we see it being worked out locally in the churches (small groups of believers). Then Luke zooms in even further to a slave boy who couldn’t keep his eyes open.
God’s grand salvation story of the world of history never misses the individual. That includes you.
As soon as I read this it seemed the Lord spoke to me about "sleep" or "slumbering". What came to me was how I allowed sleep to overcome my life in Christ. Though I received Salvation, I didn't live it. I walked as if my eyes were closed and I was asleep, like the walking dead in some zombie movie. I didn't want to change some things in my life that were in conflict with a life in Jesus. (Reminds me of my toddler granddaughter who closes her eyes when she wants me to disappear because she didn't like me asking her to pick up her toys or put down something she wasn't suppose to touch.) It took the Holy Spirit to grab me, wake me up and bring new life to me in order to appreciate my life in Christ, keeping my eyes wide open. How often do we allow ourselves to fall asleep to the point of sliding back so far that we are like the dead, dead to God's Word and a life in Jesus? May Holy Spirit grab you like Paul did Eutychus and bring life in Jesus back to you with the Holy Spirit so you can continue your walk in Him and join Him in His work through you, vibrant and alive!
ReplyDeleteExcellent observation!
ReplyDelete