Acts 20:25-38: a reflection

25“Now, behold, I know that you all, among whom I went about preaching God’s Kingdom, will see my face no more. 26Therefore I testify to you today that I am clean from the blood of all men, 27for I didn’t shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 28Take heed, therefore, to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and God which he purchased with his own blood. 29For I know that after my departure, vicious wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30Men will arise from among your own selves, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31Therefore watch, remembering that for a period of three years I didn’t cease to admonish everyone night and day with tears. 32Now, brothers, I entrust you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33I coveted no one’s silver, gold, or clothing. 34You yourselves know that these hands served my necessities, and those who were with me. 35In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” 36When he had spoken these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37They all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, 38sorrowing most of all because of the word which he had spoken, that they should see his face no more. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

Paul is saying goodbye to the Ephesian elders, whom he loves and will not see again, and it is a tearful parting. He has poured years into them, warned them night and day with tears, held back nothing of God's truth. And now he must leave them, knowing that wolves will come and troubles will arise after he is gone. What does he do with people he loves but can no longer protect? He entrusts them to someone who can.

Now I commend you to God, he says, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and give you the inheritance. Paul cannot stay; he cannot shield them from every danger ahead. So he places them into the hands of God and God's grace-filled word, which can do for them what Paul no longer can. He lets go by handing them over to the One who will not leave.

There is wisdom here for every love that must, at some point, let go, the child grown and gone, the friend moved away, the person you have poured into whom you can no longer protect. You cannot follow everyone you love through every danger. But you can do what Paul did: commend them to God and to the word of his grace, entrust them to the One who is able to keep and build them when you no longer can. Loving people means, in the end, handing them to God. Release them into his keeping.

Lord, there are people I love whom I cannot protect or follow through every danger. Like Paul, help me commend them to you and to the word of your grace, which can keep and build them when I cannot. Teach me to love by entrusting those I love into your keeping.