Acts 21:6

WE AT HOME AND THEY ABROAD

‘When we had taken our leave one of another, we took ship; and they returned home again.’

Acts 21:6

Within the compass of a few verses, taking the end of the last chapter and the beginning of this, we have the account of three somewhat touching scenes, in which the most prominent figure is that of the Apostle Paul.

The first of them occurred at Miletus. St. Paul, who was sojourning there, had sent to the elders of the Ephesian Church, begging them to come to him for a farewell interview. They came, of course. When the address was over, he kneeled down with them, and prayed; and on rising from their knees, the elders, in their impulsive Oriental fashion, clung round his neck, kissing him, and sobbing with genuine distress, and could hardly be prevailed upon at last to part with him at all. It was with an effort that he tore himself away from the group and got on board his ship.

The third scene lies in the house of Philip the evangelist, in the town of Cæsarea. There the Apostle has been abiding many days, in congenial Christian society. Presently, there comes from Judæa a prophet of the name of Agabus; and he—under a sudden impulse of the Spirit—foretells that the Jews in Jerusalem will seize the Apostle, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. The friends of St. Paul entreated him not to go, but what was his answer? ‘I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’

Between these scenes a second intervenes. It is that to which our text belongs. The ship which carried the Apostle and his friends touched at Tyre, and stayed there a week, for the purpose of discharging her cargo. Here again the disciples tried to dissuade him, but this appeal too was gently but resolutely put aside. And when the time came for re-embarkation, we find the Apostle accompanied to the water’s side by the whole Christian community of the place; men, women, and children—the children being expressly mentioned—all of them anxious to hear a parting word and to receive a parting blessing.

Now let us advance to the consideration of one or two thoughts, of a practical kind, which seem to be suggested by these narratives:—

I. Why was it that the Apostle so persistently turned a deaf ear to the earnest expostulations of his truest friends?—Was he actuated by a spirit of obstinacy? The fact rather seems to be this: that he had a more distinct view of the Divine will concerning himself than those around him. They were blinded by the affectionate regard which they had for him; by their apprehensions of losing such a friend, and such a worker for the kingdom of Christ: he was not. He saw clearly the mixture, so to speak, of the spiritual and the carnal, that showed itself throughout their dealing with him.

II. Sometimes we are called upon to decide between the pleadings of natural affection and the promptings and pleadings of the Spirit of God.—Our duty seems to pull us one way, our hearts pull us another; and the difficulty is, to ascertain between the two what the will of the Lord is. How is decision to be arrived at? As in the case of St. Paul, not by indifference to the pleadings of human affection, for the Apostle is obviously very nearly overcome by the loving importunity of his friends; certainly not by roughly putting aside their arguments and wishes as if they were utterly unworthy of consideration; nor by making no allowance, and blindly rushing upon a predetermined course: but by resolutely but gently turning away from man to God, and, by Divine help, opening the ear, amidst the hubbub and confusion, to hear what the Lord the Spirit has to say. And when the decision is arrived at, God’s people at least will be satisfied, although their wishes have been thwarted; and they will say, ‘The will of the Lord be done.’

III. A lesson in self-sacrifice.—When we think of those who go to the mission-field, and then look round on our many comforts, and enjoyments, and on the kindly faces of our friends, we can hardly help asking the questions, ‘What sacrifice do I make for Jesus Christ? Where is the cross-bearing? Where is the carrying of heavy burdens for the sake of His great name, and from the impulse of His exceeding love?’ But about the self-sacrifice of these servants of the Lord there can be no doubt. They go counter to their interests, to their inclinations, almost, I was going to say, to their great natural instinct, in order to follow the voice of Jesus, luring them away from England, to undertake His work in distant and uncongenial heathen lands. Shall we not wish the band of workers ‘Godspeed,’ and pursue them across the wild waste of waters—with our interest, our sympathy, our loving admiration, and with our earnest and persistent prayers? They take ship, and we return home again.

—Rev. Prebendary Gordon Calthrop.

Illustration

‘Quite recently a group of missionaries going out to India, China, and elsewhere, were sent forth to their work amidst the prayers and benedictions of an assemblage of Christian friends. These missionaries were all ladies. These people who go forth from amongst us in the name of the Lord are worth thinking about, and praying for, and being thankful to God for. We are accustomed to consider it a grand and a noble thing for a man to quit his home and his country, his early associations, and his worldly prospects, and to journey to a foreign land, under the influence of the constraining love of Christ, for the purpose of preaching them the Gospel of the grace of God. A true missionary, heaven-sent and heaven-prepared, has always been, and always will be, the object of very profound respect. But the respect which we feel for a man who will go to the mission-field we extend, in a much greater degree, to a woman who will do the same.’