Asleep

We are following Paul’s third missionary journey...currently in the city of Troas. There is a link in the “sites” section of the blog that will allow you to interactively track his journey.


Acts 20
7 On the first day of the week, we gathered with the local believers to share in the Lord’s Supper. Paul was preaching to them, and since he was leaving the next day, he kept talking until midnight. 8 The upstairs room where we met was lighted with many flickering lamps. 9 As Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill, became very drowsy. Finally, he fell sound asleep and dropped three stories to his death below. 10 Paul went down, bent over him, and took him into his arms. “Don’t worry,” he said, “he’s alive!” 11 Then they all went back upstairs, shared in the Lord’s Supper, and ate together. Paul continued talking to them until dawn, and then he left. 12 Meanwhile, the young man was taken home unhurt, and everyone was greatly relieved.


Asleep. A lot of people use this part of the story to crack a joke about long-winded preachers ... maybe you have met one, or two. I think there is something deeper in this story ... an illustration that counters our instinctive desire for comfort and security. Please don’t miss understand me, I don’t think Jesus has anything against us being safe. The problem is when that sense of safety figuratively lulls us to sleep spiritually causing us to make poor choices (check out the story of David and Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11). Eutychus was participating in a good event, in a good place, surround by good people. There was nothing wrong with what he was doing; but like Eutychus, all that goodness (all that safety) can actually lull us into a dangerous mindset where we make bad decisions. Jesus warned his disciples to stay alert and keep watch. I encourage you to check out Mark 13 tonight before you fall asleep.