2022_06_27 Insight Post- Kim Feld

  -   June 27, 2022

This week’s reading- Acts 20

We have taken a short dip back into Acts this week with our reading of chapter 20. If you remember back to Acts chapter 19, a riot had broken out in Ephesus. A silversmith named Demetrius made silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis, bringing a lot of business to the area’s artisans. Unfortunately, he convinced the artisans that Paul was disrupting their industry and impacting their income by saying that man-made gods were not actual gods, resulting in the riot. Paul left Ephesus, and Luke outlines the course they traveled.

At the end of chapter 20, Paul reached Miletus and sent for the church leaders at Ephesus. When they arrived, Paul said a beautiful farewell to them. The Holy Spirit told him he would never see these people again.

Several things are striking about this scene. First is Paul’s lack of concern for himself. He said the Holy Spirit had warned him that prison and hardship were waiting for him, but he was only concerned with completing the task Jesus had given him. Then, Paul encourages them to watch over themselves and the people the Holy Spirit entrusted them. Paul’s heart was full of concern for them. The end of the chapter is the most poignant to me:

^36 “When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. ³⁷ They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. ³⁸ What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.”

Moves and relocations are expected in a transient area like Northern Virginia. But, I feel like I’ve said “see you later” to more friends in the last few years than I have in my entire life. Although it is always hard, I’ve never said goodbye anticipating not seeing them again. But this goodbye was a final one for Paul and his friends.

Paul’s Damascus Road experience with Jesus changed everything in his life. Paul gave all he had to be God’s man “for such a time as this.” Back to last week’s reading in 1 Corinthians, Paul referred to himself as “abnormally born.” He was so aware of who he was before Jesus pursued him. He knew only God could redeem a life like his and use him for a greater purpose.

Paul’s example is so convicting to me. I have to ask myself, are my priorities aligned with the ones Jesus has for me? Am I following my own agenda, or His?