A night to remember
by Maria Rudolph
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Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms round him. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ‘He’s alive!’ (Acts 20:10)
Read Acts 20:1–16
Do you have a favourite ‘strange’ Bible story? The story of the young man who falls out of the window and dies while listening to Paul has always been up there for me. What a dramatic scene! When at first Paul only preached about Jesus rising from the dead on the third day, the next thing he showcases the life-giving resurrection power of Jesus right in front of everyone’s eyes.
Imagine this happening in your church service. Anyone who’s ever experienced an ambulance being called to pick someone up with a medical emergency knows how such incidents stir everyone up. How much more impressive would a resurrection be? It would probably be an experience you’d never forget.
In great contrast to the preceding account of the riot in Ephesus, where the heightened emotions of the crowd were detailed, there is no mention of the emotion of the crowd in this story, even though Paul immediately reassures them, ‘Don’t be alarmed’ (Acts 20:10). A man fell out of the window from the third storey before their eyes. Were they simply stunned and fell silent? Had they taken to heart Paul’s preaching that ‘If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord’ (Romans 14:8) and ‘I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength’ (Philippians 4:11–13)?
Whatever the dramatic circumstances of this evening, it ended well for the people of Troas. Paul kept preaching until daylight the next morning, and then ‘the people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted’ (Acts 20:12). It surely was a night to remember, one where the power of God was revealed tangibly. The words of Jesus from John 20:29 remind us, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed’. Today, hold fast to the knowledge that God’s power is strong and amazing whether you see it manifest tangibly before your eyes, or whether it comes to you during Sunday’s service in the words, ‘Your sins are forgiven’.
Dear God, thank you for the miracles being performed in your name. I’m in awe of you when you heal people. I’m in awe of you when you tell me that I’m your beloved child, and you feed me with your body and blood. Help me grasp your power and might through my daily experiences and be comforted by you in the good and bad times. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Maria loves serving God through the LCANZ and currently does this at St John’s Perth as a pastoral associate and volunteers at Concordia Duncraig in Western Australia. She enjoys being part of a Way Forward Working Group and tackling current theological issues on the Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations. Her three kids and pastor husband keep her very happy and busy.
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