Works of Faith Comfort

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

WORKS OF FAITH COMFORT

Acts 20:7-12

7 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. 8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. 9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. 10 Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's alive!" 11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. 12 The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.

NIV

Paul certainly did not have a three-point sermon timed to the twenty-to-twenty-five-minute limitation of the post-modern church of today, although even at this shortness of time to get the message in, there may be some who are just a little like Eutychus, dozing off with an occasional head nod. Then again there may also be some preachers that just keep talking on and on. However, here it would seem the people were eager to hear everything Paul was saying for they lit many lamps in the room so Paul could continue as long as he wanted, even through the night until morning, at least all of them except this young man who fell into a deep sleep and fell three stories to the ground, which for any mere mortal would be enough to kill them, which is what happened to Eutychus as the people must have rushed downstairs and found him to be dead and picked him up. We do not know why they picked him up, but it would make sense not to leave this dead young man lying on the ground. Undoubtingly there was no forensic team that would show up to determine the time and cause of death, and they needed to leave him untouched so as to not spoil any evidence. So they picked him up, yet Paul somehow was still able to throw himself on this young man. We don’t know if Paul told them to put him down, but the point is that he threw himself on this young man and the life returned to him. God can do anything, and Paul knew it without any reservations. This is faith at work, which Paul writes in his letter to the church in Philippi when he tells them, and us, to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, this is to mean that because we are saved by the grace of God and it is God who will complete this work in us, that as a result of faith, we will demonstrate that faith in God by doing those acts of faith which bring glory and honor to God. Paul did this very work because of his faith by throwing himself on this dead young man and restoring him to life, through the power of God and all the people were greatly comforted. What a great witness to the power of God and so everyone went back upstairs, and we would have to believe so did this young man and they all broke bread together, which may be seen as observing communion, and Paul went on talking until daybreak. However, the point is people were comforted because of the power of God working through Paul’s works of faith.