Acts 20:1-6 Paul in Macedonia and Greece
“When the uproar (at Ephesus) had ended, Paul sent for the disciples. And after encouraging them, he said goodbye to them and left for Macedonia. After traveling through that area and speaking many words of encouragement, he arrived in Greece, where he stayed three months. And when the Jews formed a plot against him as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia.
Paul was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. These men went on ahead and waited for us in Troas. And after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we sailed from Philippi, and five days later we rejoined them in Troas, where we stayed seven days.
Things have become so hot in Ephesus that Paul feels it’s time for him to leave. With Paul out of the picture, disciples can quietly continue to tell people about Jesus without attracting undue attention. Evidently, the Jews form some kind of plot against Paul that precludes his undertaking a long voyage to Syria. Perhaps someone informs Paul that Jewish leaders have corrupted the crew of a sailing vessel so that they will throw him overboard once they are at sea. Anyhow, Paul changes plans, preferring to take a short voyage from Philippi to Troas. Once at Troas, Paul can take an overland route to Syria and then down to Jerusalem if he chooses.
Acts 20:7-12 Eutychus Revived at Troas (2 Kings 4:18–37)
“On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Since Paul was ready to leave the next day, he talked to them and kept on speaking until midnight.
Now there were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. And a certain young man named Eutychus, seated in the window, was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell from the third story and was picked up dead. But Paul went down, threw himself on the young man, and embraced him. “Do not be alarmed!” he said. “He is still alive!”
Then Paul went back upstairs, broke bread, and ate. And after speaking until daybreak, he departed. And the people were greatly relieved to take the boy home alive.”
Paul is about to leave Troas and he senses that this is the last time he will ever get to address these beloved friends. Never a brief speaker, Paul continues to teach until midnight. One teenager in Paul’s audience, Eutychus, has claimed a choice seat in a window, where he can be comfortable and catch the evening breeze. Unfortunately, Eutychus is too comfortable, so much so that he falls into a deep sleep, slumps, and tumbles out this third story window to the ground below.
Men in the crowd rush down to pick up Eutychus, crying, “He’s dead!” But Paul goes down, throws himself on the young man, and embraces him, reviving him. The boy immediately begins breathing and talking. Paul goes back upstairs, shares a meal with his listeners, and continues to teach until daybreak, at which time he leaves.
Does this story actually describe Paul doing an early form of CPR? Eutychus falls from at least a height of 7 meters, certainly a large enough height for him to die instantly, to suffer a severe head injury, or have the breath knocked out of him completely if nothing else. What moves Paul to throw himself on the young man’s body? Paul is a serious scholar and readily remembers the story of Elisha and the son of the Shunammite woman from 2 Kings 4:32-37. In that story, the prophet Elisha does something similar. “When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed. He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord. And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm. He returned and walked back and forth in the house, and again went up and stretched himself out on him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. And he called Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite woman.” So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, “Pick up your son.” So she went in, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground; then she picked up her son and went out.”
Following the dictates of the Holy Spirit, Paul does something very similar to Elisha with wonderful results. Eutychus recovers completely. Paul returns to eat something and teach until daybreak, when he leaves Troas.
Notice what Paul does NOT do. Paul does not hang around to be congratulated for this miracle. Driven by the Holy Spirit, Paul is trying to cram all the teaching he can into his last few hours with the Christians at Troas. Paul realizes that he is simply a messenger, that all the power and glory belong to God in the first place. Paul likely remembers what Jesus has told his disciples as Luke has recorded (Luke 17:7-10) “And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”
Sadly, had we been the ones to bring Eutychus back to life, many of us would have been more than willing to take all the credit for being miracle workers. These days, there are many evangelists advertising “Festivals of Miracles,” as if they can dictate to the Holy Spirit. But when Jesus was conversing with Nicodemus, he warned Nicodemus that the Holy Spirit was like the wind, and nobody controls the wind apart from God. We would be well advised to have the same mind that Jesus has described: we are unworthy servants and God is the One making miracles happen. May God help us, so that we have an appropriate estimate of our importance versus His!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to remember that all power comes from You and that You are the Miracle Worker, while we are only conduits of Your grace. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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