The Fortunate One

Introduction

Maybe you have heard about the missing dog. The notice says: Dog missing. Blind in left eye. Tail missing. Only three legs. Answers to the name “Lucky.” It’s hard to imagine how the name and the circumstance go together. There are days that maybe we feel more lucky than others. We say to someone “good luck” meaning that we want things to go well for them. We avoid some danger or incident and we say “that was lucky.” We can discuss if luck exists but the very word “luck” endorses the concept of chance and randomness. Once the concept of chance enters into the conversation then we at times want to talk about what we can do to increase our luck. By definition luck has nothing to do with human effort; thus, one cannot increase luck. If you can then what is happening is not chance but effort and then we are no longer talking about luck.

Throughout this series on Acts we have reviewed and perhaps discovered a number of truths. But for the most part, this series was to help us renew our minds about our identity and purpose. Some lessons have done that better than others, but to know who we are and why we are here allows us to live with greater confidence and assurance in this world. For these early believers their identity and purpose were wrapped up in following Jesus. Heartaches occurred. Persecution made life uneasy. But it was their faith in Jesus that helped them move through and forward. Their identity was challenged. Their purpose was denounced. They remained faithful.

Today we look at a story in Acts 20 that may leave us wondering what Luke is trying to convey. The story is easily understood, but why did he include this story as opposed to other events? You have heard of Eutychus. Let’s look at his story one more time.

Troas

Paul’s 3rd missionary journey begins in 18:23 and concludes with his arrival in Jerusalem in chapter 21. The focus of the 3rd journey is largely on Ephesus and Paul’s two year stay. When we get to chapter 20, Paul is ready to get to Jerusalem. What Luke doesn’t tell us that Paul does in 2 Corinthians is that during this two year stay at Ephesus, Paul and his entourage have been making forays into the surrounding areas. Part of that is to strengthen churches but part of it is to collect funds for Jerusalem brothers. The church in Jerusalem has fallen on hard times. Famine came. Persecution intensified. The church needed financial help. So for two years, Paul has been telling the churches in this area that they need to share in Jerusalem’s burden. Money has been collected. He is now ready to go to Jerusalem. In 20:4 and following we are given the names of those who will go with him. It is quite the list.

We will not go through each name but many of these are mentioned in other places in the New Testament. I want you to notice one name—Secundus. In all likelihood, he is a slave. His name means second. We have a similar name in Romans 16:22. Tertius, which means third, was the secretary for the letter that Paul dictated to the house churches in Rome. Followers of Jesus came from all walks of life to find real life in Jesus.

Paul and his entourage meet up in Troas. Paul stayed several days in Philippi to celebrate the Passover and then he traveled to Troas and stayed there for seven days. It was during this seven day stay that Luke almost casually mentions two things. The coming together to break bread on the first day of the week and the death of Eutychus. The breaking of bread is a term that can mean either communion or table fellowship. In the first century these were done simultaneously. The remembering of Jesus as the sacrificial lamb was a part of the fellowship meal that was shared by the congregation. At some point, these got separated but here the context helps us to understand that this is a meal in which the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is remembered. Notice that in verse 7 and verse 11 the same wording is used. But verse 7 suggests that there is a specialized purpose whereas verse 11 suggests that he ate a meal.

In between we have the story of Eutychus. This meeting occurs at night. We know because Sunday was a work day for slaves (every day was a work day for slaves), that the believers would accommodate times for when the slaves were able to meet. Many times this meant before sunrise and other times after sunset. It appears this is an after sunset meeting. The people gather. They break bread with the intent of remembering Jesus and Paul speaks. Everyone in the room knows this may be the last time they will see and hear him. No one whim to stop speaking. But fatigue wins with Eutychus. Sitting in a window he falls dead asleep. The entire congregation is shocked. Paul rushes down and resurrects him. And then they go back up and break bread again.

What is Luke doing? They came together to remember the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Then they got to experience and see a resurrection. Now they ate again with a fuller appreciation and recognition of what it means to live in Jesus. Their identity was solidified through this experience. What had been sacred before was now real in a way that had never been before. Do you think what Paul said after the resurrection was heard more deeply and profoundly than before? What is Luke doing? He is reminding us of our identity and purpose. He is writing a history but this story reveals the depth of the believer’s faith. We gather to break bread. We gather to remember. We celebrate the Father, Son and Spirit who give life. This was not by chance or random. BTW, Eutychus means “lucky or fortunate one.” Paul doesn’t declare that Eutychus is alive. The language is “his life is in him.” That would be true even if he were dead. Communion. Randy is going to lead a song and then Stan will share thoughts.

So What?

What does this have to say to us? First, in the breaking of bread we are reminded of who we are. Each week we gather to remember Jesus but we also gather to remember who we are. In taking the breaking of bread we are reminded

that we are followers of Jesus

that we live or lives to reflect his glory

that our life is his not ours

that our confidence and assurance comes from our connection to him not our success or failures

that God is always near and that he is faithful

Second, God gives life, real life. We talk about luck because we have no other way to discuss chance. Lucky and unlucky are mere outcomes of chance. Thus, life is trying to maximize luck and minimize no luck. That’s not life. Why does Paul tell the people not to be alarmed? Because they were. The word Luke uses means to wail out of confusion and being troubled in one’s mind. We have all had those moments. Paul isn’t rebuking them for their reaction. He is reassuring them about the outcome. When they went up the stairs with Eutychus walking up the stairs with them, do you think they understood the meaning of life a bit more? Do you think they understood that God is the giver of life. Satan is the taker of life. Don’t blame God for death. That’s Satan’s work. But what God does is provide life even in death. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

We take communion to remember life. He died. But he is alive. We will die but we will be alive. For us death on this earth only means that we go on living with God.

Follower of Jesus—you will not die; life is still in you though you may cease to breathe and your heart will stop beating and your brain will not function. You are alive in Christ and no death on this earth will stop that. Jesus proves it. Eutychus reminds us. And the breaking of bread encourages us to live life with joy and confidence because we will not die.

Invitation Song.

Follow Jesus

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