Sunday, August 16
A Full-Course Meal
by Dick Duerksen
of Christian Love
They came in small groups.
Some on horseback, some in
carts or the chariots of Roman
officials. Others came walking
briskly toward the meeting to
which they had been sum-
moned.
The courier had ridden in
with Paul's message: “Please
have the church elders come
to me in Miletus. I'm going to
be here for a couple of days
and would love to see them.”
Since he was in such a
hurry to get to Jerusalem for
Pentecost, Paul had decided to
sail on by his friends in Eph-
esus. “You cannot, after all,
see everyone while you're trav-
eling through.”
But he wanted to see them.
He missed them. And as the
ship sailed in and out of the
harbors of Assos, Mitylene,
Chios, and Samos, Paul’s pas-
toral thoughts went more and
more to his friends in Eph-
esus.
When they docked at Mile-
tus, the captain called the pas-
sengers together and an-
nounced that there would be at
least a two-day delay until
the cargo could be unloaded
and the new cargo put in its
place. That was all the opportu-
nity Paul needed. If he went
the 30 miles to Ephesus, he
might miss the sailing of the
ship, but maybe they would
come to him.
Paul’s excitement was obvi-
ous. For the occupants of each
chariot and cart, for every
horseman and for the groups of
happily exhausted hikers, he
was ready with a full-course
meal of Christian love. The
yard was filled with tremen-
dous, strong Asian bear hugs
and handshakes that turned
into holy kisses all around.
“Ah, there’s nothing like be-
ing together with good
friends.”
Each face in the tightly
packed room told part of the
story of Paul’s ministry dur-
ing the years in Ephesus.
Aquila and Priscilla sat to-
gether near Paul's chair, obvi-
ously pleased to be working as
a team for Christ. There were
several of the disciples of
John whom Paul had baptized
with the Holy Spirit, still
filled with the same intense
exuberance for The Way.
The city leaders were there;
rich and powerful men who had
spent so many lazy afternoons
in the school of Tyrannus lis-
tening, agreeing, arguing,
and searching for truth. And
next to them sat the Romans.
Even though their clothes im-
mediately marked them as
Roman officials they were sit-
ting as equals with tentmak-
ers, carpenters, silversmiths,
and Jews. There was no hint
of superiority or control, just a
palpable fellowship of love.
The others. Some who had
been healed by holding Paul’s
handkerchief. Itinerant Jew-
ish exorcists converted to
Christ.
The words of encourage-
ment and hope, the reminder of
God’s promised grace, the ex-
pectation of the inheritance, all
tumbled together and choked
Paul’s throat as he looked into
the eyes of friends. Friends he
would never see again.
Dick Duerksen is the vice-president for enrollment services at
Pacific Union College, Angwin, California.
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INTRO-
DUCTION
Scripture:
Acts 20:1—21::