Acts 20:7-12: a reflection

7On the first day of the week, when the disciples were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day; and continued his speech until midnight. 8There were many lights in the upper room where we were gathered together. 9A certain young man named Eutychus sat in the window, weighed down with deep sleep. As Paul spoke still longer, being weighed down by his sleep, he fell down from the third floor and was taken up dead. 10Paul went down and fell upon him, and embracing him said, “Don’t be troubled, for his life is in him.” 11When he had gone up, had broken bread and eaten, and had talked with them a long while, even until break of day, he departed. 12They brought the boy in alive, and were greatly comforted.

As Paul preached late into the night, a young man named Eutychus, sitting in a window and overcome by sleep, fell from the third floor and was taken up dead. It seemed a sudden tragedy, a joyful gathering turned to grief. But Paul went down, embraced him, and said, Don't be troubled, for his life is in him; and the young man was restored, brought back alive. What had seemed a disaster became instead an occasion of comfort and joy: they brought the boy in alive, and were greatly comforted. God brought life out of what seemed death, comfort out of what seemed disaster. This shows that what looks to us like an unmitigated tragedy is not always the final word; God can bring restoration and comfort out of what seemed only loss. The gathering that had been plunged into grief was lifted into joy, for God brought the boy back and comforted them. God can turn what seems a disaster into an occasion of comfort and restoration. What looked like tragedy became a cause of joy.

Notice how the scene turned: from apparent tragedy to comfort and joy. A young man fell and was taken up dead; the gathering was plunged into grief. But God, through Paul, restored him, and the disaster became an occasion of comfort. This does not mean every loss is reversed as this one was; but it shows that what seems to us an unmitigated disaster is not always the final word. God is able to bring life out of death, comfort out of grief, restoration out of what seemed only loss. The grief of the moment was real; but it was not the end of the story. God brought the boy back, and they were greatly comforted. When disaster seems to strike, when what we love seems lost, it is not always the final word; God can bring restoration and comfort we did not expect. The gathering learned that God can turn grief to joy, disaster to comfort. What seems the end may not be the end; God can bring life and comfort out of it. Apparent tragedy is not always the final word.

That is worth resting in, for God can bring restoration and comfort out of what seems a disaster. When something we love seems lost, when disaster seems to strike, we can conclude that grief is the final word; but the gathering with Paul saw a young man taken up dead restored to life, disaster turned to comfort. God is able to bring life out of death, comfort out of grief, restoration out of apparent loss. What seems to us the end is not always the end. When disaster seems to strike, do not conclude that grief is the final word; God can bring restoration and comfort you did not expect. Trust that God can bring restoration and comfort out of what seems a disaster, as the gathering with Paul, plunged into grief when Eutychus fell and was taken up dead, was greatly comforted when God restored him alive; for what looks to us like an unmitigated tragedy is not always the final word, and God is able to bring life out of death and comfort out of grief, restoration out of what seemed only loss, so that when disaster seems to strike we need not conclude that grief is the end, since God can turn even what seems a disaster into an occasion of comfort and joy.

Lord, as Paul preached late into the night, a young man named Eutychus, sitting in a window and overcome by sleep, fell from the third floor and was taken up dead. It seemed a sudden tragedy, a joyful gathering turned to grief. But Paul went down, embraced him, and said, Don't be troubled, for his life is in him; and the young man was restored, brought back alive. What had seemed a disaster became instead an occasion of comfort and joy: they brought the boy in alive, and were greatly comforted. You brought life out of what seemed death, comfort out of what seemed disaster. Show me how the scene turned: from apparent tragedy to comfort and joy. A young man fell and was taken up dead; the gathering was plunged into grief. But you, through Paul, restored him, and the disaster became an occasion of comfort. This does not mean every loss is reversed as this one was; but it shows that what seems to me an unmitigated disaster is not always the final word. You are able to bring life out of death, comfort out of grief, restoration out of what seemed only loss. The grief of the moment was real; but it was not the end of the story. Let me rest in that, for you can bring restoration and comfort out of what seems a disaster. When something I love seems lost, when disaster seems to strike, I can conclude that grief is the final word; but the gathering with Paul saw a young man restored to life. What seems to me the end is not always the end. When disaster seems to strike, keep me from concluding that grief is the final word; help me trust that you can bring restoration and comfort I did not expect, Lord, as you comforted the gathering by restoring Eutychus, turning what seemed a disaster into joy.