Dear Editor,
Have you ever fallen asleep during a sermon? What was your reason? Were you bored, tired or both? Was the sermon too long? Where were you sitting when you fell asleep? In the pew or on the platform? One of the most embarrassing things is to be “bucking” away on the platform, especially during a sermon. Guilty? Well, at least you were not sitting in a window, like Eutychus. Do you know the story of the young man, Eutychus?
One day, Apostle Paul was preaching, and some may say he was feeling himself. Because, according to Acts 20, you would think Paul was a well “revved-up” Pentecostal preacher because at midnight he was still at the podium. Reminds me of a White church/Black church joke I heard. A man who was used to going to a Black church found it usual to spend 7-8 hours in a session. When he visited a White church and the service ended in 2 hours, he was most confused, as he thought they were just taking a break. Paul was definitely in a Black church mode that Sunday (1st day of the week). Preach like Paul, indeed!
Now, for whatever reason, during Paul’s sermon, poor Eutychus fell asleep. We don’t know if he was working late Saturday night and went to church tired the next day. The scriptures only said he fell asleep. The unfortunate thing is…the place where he was sitting when he fell asleep. Eutychus was sitting on a windowsill when he dozed off. Where do you sit at church? On the balcony with your friends, which can lend to much distraction? If you fall asleep at the front of the church, someone beside you may tap you on the shoulder to bring you awake. Now, have you ever sat beside someone, especially someone you may not be on good terms with, and you unfortunately nod off, and when you wake up, you find yourself on the shoulder of or all over such person (could be in a vehicle as well)? Oh, if the earth could open and swallow you then. Eutychus never had anyone nudging him awake.
Some churches have pew preachers, aka assistant preachers, and their constant loud shouts of “Amen!”, “Preach it!” and “Tell it to them, Sir!” keep everyone awake. It would suggest that Eutychus’ church never had any “pew preachers” because, while sitting in the windowsill, he got deeper and deeper into sleep until he fell from the 3rd floor and was killed.
Now, just as if it were at church and someone were to fall from the balcony, when Eutychus fell out the window, Paul, the preacher, stopped his preaching and went to where the young man fell. Acts 20 vs 9 says Eutychus was dead. Paul then worked a miracle to resurrect Eutychus. The brethren of the church, in response, “were not a little comforted.” In other words, this suggests the resurrection of Eutychus lent to a joyous occasion for all.
Now, why would Luke record this story? Was it to emphasise that preachers must not weary the saints with long preaching? Probably that is a lesson as well, but I believe there is a bigger picture, and same can be found in the prior chapter. In Acts 19, vs. 10–12, we see Paul travelling through Asia and working miracles, with the sick being healed and evil spirits being cast out. In recording the story of Eutychus, I believe Luke wanted to continue showing Paul executing the power with which he, as an apostle, was bestowed. The power to resurrect the dead is such a phenomenal miracle, and so Eutychus’ brethren, at his resurrection, were strengthened in their belief in Christ and, as such, again, “were not a little comforted.”
While in contemporary times, given it’s not being evidenced, it seems the miracle to raise the dead is no longer available to followers of Christ. When was the last time you heard someone got raised from the dead? The story of Eutychus, however, showed that Paul had the power to resurrect, and it would suggest from other scriptures (such as Matthew 10 vs 8) that all of Christ’s current disciples have the same power. What is happening why we are not seeing this miracle being evidenced?!
I am,
Garfield Goulbourne