A Place of Welcome

“A Place of Welcome” – November 19^th, 2023 (Acts 27)

Today as we continue our adventures through the book of Acts, we’ll see that the action is far from over. In fact, things are about to get thoroughly tempestuous and turbulent!

Acts 27:1-12 – “1 When it was decided that we were to sail for Italy, they transferred Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort, named Julius. 2 Embarking on a ship of Adramyttium that was about to set sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. 3 The next day we put in at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul kindly and allowed him to go to his friends to be cared for. 4 Putting out to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. 5 After we had sailed across the sea that is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship bound for Italy and put us on board. 7 We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind was against us, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. 8 Sailing past it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea. 9 Since much time had been lost and sailing was now dangerous, because even the Fast had already gone by, Paul advised them, 10 saying, ‘Men, I can see that the voyage will be with danger and much heavy loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.’ 11 But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. 12 Since the harbor was not suitable for spending the winter, the majority was in favor of putting to sea from there on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, where they could spend the winter. It was a harbor of Crete, facing southwest and northwest.”

Remember the verdict given at Paul’s trial last week? Acts 26:31b, 32b – “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment … This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.” Julius the centurion, who had been assigned the job of transporting him to Caesar, had undoubtedly heard this verdict. As a result, he treated Paul humanely with kindness. Because Julius permitted Paul’s friends to connect and care for him, Paul was spared the distress and damage that results from relational reclusiveness. We get a clue as to the identity of one of the friends by Luke’s use of the word “we.” The other friend is Aristarchus the Macedonian, who is mentioned two other times in the book of Acts as well as in Colossians and Philemon! The fact that Luke even mentions Julius’s kindness implies that this kind of thing was unfortunately rare.

In the shipping world at that time, sailing was considered too dangerous for most of the year, on account of tempestuous weather. The Jews considered the safe sailing season to fall between the Feast of Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles, which comes five days after the Day of Atonement. Verse nine also tells us that “the Fast” (the Day of Atonement) had already gone by. In that year, likely AD 59, the Fast fell on September 24^th. All this to say that by this time there would be violent winds and shipping would be too risky. Certainly, the ship’s pilot and crew knew these things. Paul spoke prophetic advice and warnings to his fellow travelers: “I can see that the voyage will be with danger and much heavy loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” But Julius the centurion decided to listen more to the ship’s pilot and owner than to this prisoner he was transporting. The Scripture makes it clear that everyone – the ship’s crew, Paul, Julius – everyone knew it would be dangerous. Stories abounded about dangers and delays at sea; shipwrecks were not uncommon. The ship’s owner, captain, and crew were accustomed to living on the ragged edge, where danger and death lurked close by. That’s part of the reality of seagoing communities. When we were in Montenegro for Peter & Alex’s wedding, we visited a beautiful church built on an artificial island that was created over a period of centuries by piling up rocks and disused ships. Inside the church hundreds and hundreds of silver tablets glisten in row upon row around the high edges of the ceiling. Each has been dedicated to God in honor of loved ones who died at sea, engraved with a depiction of the circumstances. I knew we stood in a holy space when I saw those tablets, fashioned from touching tales of devoted love and devastating loss. Seafaring communities have a complicated relationship with the sea which both gives life and takes it. These communities understand risk, loss, suffering, and grief better than most.

The sailors also faced financial incentives; the previous Emperor, Claudius Caesar, had offered special bonuses to shippers who brought grain during the off-season. (Incidentally, I incorrectly named Claudius last week as the Emperor to whom Paul appealed; it was actually Nero – please forgive my mistake!) The ship’s owners would have also paid a huge amount of money to insure their cargo in case of shipwreck. These economic realities probably contributed far more than nautical wisdom to the decision that day. The allurement of money was powerful; the assessment of the majority prevailed. Scripture tells us that the sailors decided to risk it because they didn’t want to have to spend the winter in Fair Havens, where a harsh and unpleasant northwesterly wind blows across the land. Incidentally, a grand total of twenty-one people live today in Kaloi Limenes, the Greek name for Fair Havens, a fishing village in Crete. Lovely name, but perhaps a slight exaggeration, as the population count tells us.

Paul’s prophetic advice and warnings that day were actually words of invitation to those on board to trust in God. Paul was inviting them to God’s place of welcome, even if they didn’t perceive it or receive his words. May we be as faithful and courageous as the Apostle Paul to speak whatever words the Lord gives us to say, and in our obedience invite others into God’s place of welcome, whether or not our words are received.

Acts 27:13-20 – “13 When a moderate south wind began to blow, they thought they could achieve their purpose; so they weighed anchor and began to sail past Crete, close to the shore. 14 But soon a violent wind, called the northeaster, rushed down from Crete. 15 Since the ship was caught and could not be turned head-on into the wind, we gave way to it and were driven. 16 By running under the lee of a small island called Cauda we were scarcely able to get the ship’s boat under control. 17 After hoisting it up they took measures to undergird the ship; then, fearing that they would run on the Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and so were driven. 18 We were being pounded by the storm so violently that on the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard, 19 and on the third day with their own hands they threw the ship’s tackle overboard. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.”

We are invited into their descent into despair in Luke’s riveting report of this perilous passage. Let’s look at three real and raw remarks in his account.

Luke’s first remark: “Much time had been lost.” Sometimes we feel like time has been lost. But let’s remember the mystery that the God who is creator and sovereign over time and space is the same God who enters time and space – Emmanuel, God with us. The love of God-with-us is limitless, personal, and complete. No detail is too small to escape God’s tender compassion. Throughout God’s word, the Lord assures us that right from the very beginning, God’s plan has always been to redeem and restore and transform all people and all of creation. In Colossians 1:13-14, Paul wrote, “he [God the Father] has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” In Revelation 21:5 the one seated on the throne says, “I am making everything new!” In the economy of the Kingdom of God, the dynamic reality which exists within the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, nothing is wasted, not even time.

Luke’s second remark: “We were scarcely able to get [things] under control.” Sometimes we feel like the world is spiraling or that we are spiraling in it. Isaiah 26:3-4 gives us this beautiful assurance, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal.” The peace of the Lord is accessible to us here and now, in the present moment in which we live. The Hebrew word describing our minds being steadfast speaks of “leaning on” and “resting in.” We can turn our minds to Jesus in a single moment, a single breath, simply by leaning on him, resting in him.

Luke’s third remark: “When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and no small tempest raged, all hope … was at last abandoned.”

Notice that it is precisely at the moment that they were drained of hope that God’s prophetic word came through Paul. God is faithful to meet us even (or perhaps especially) in the direst of circumstances because God will never allow hope to die in this world.

Sometimes we feel like we have been violently pounded, whether literally or metaphorically; sometimes we feel like we’ve been left with no light to guide us; sometimes we feel like a tempest is always raging around or near or even inside us; sometimes we feel like nothing we’ve tried has worked. All these things can make us feel apathetic or defeated. We may feel like giving up, abandoning hope. Some of us have been beaten down with so many illnesses or afflictions with barely a chance to catch our breath. Some of us have struggled to make ends meet, only to face job losses, unexpected expenses, or rising prices that make us wonder if we’ll ever find financial stability. Some of us have experienced grief upon grief as loved ones have passed away, moved away, or pulled away and our hearts just can’t take any more loss. Life is hard, friends! Life has been hard for the whole world. We’ve all been beaten down. People all around us have been beaten down in ways that we probably don’t even realize. Let’s take the time to notice, be present with, and listen to other people. It’s easy enough to hurry past and get on with our lives. Let’s remember that in the middle of it all, in good times and in bad, in times of plenty and in times of despair, God is with us. Who is “us”? Everyone. Every beautiful image-bearer of God. God’s plan has always been to have a huge family of restored human beings who are unified in Jesus the Messiah. And no matter what you or I or anyone is going through, the God who is with us always breathes hope. How we become a place of welcome for those around us who feel that much time has been lost? How can we invite others to lean on and rest in Christ, the ultimate place of welcome? How can we better be present with those who have abandoned all hope, to walk together towards God’s place of welcome?

Psalm 65:5-8 – “You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations. The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.”

Jesus Christ is our living hope! In Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are invited to live in the abundance of God’s kingdom, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, experiencing God’s presence and power right here, right now, and on into the future forever and ever. We are God’s ambassadors who can deliver this good news to every precious person we encounter by extending that invitation to them, too, to come to Jesus and live in the abundance of God’s kingdom right here, right now. I’ve always loved the image of Johnny Appleseed walking along, generously flinging seeds every which way wherever he went. He may have done that; he also planted and nurtured nurseries and invited and envisioned others to help him plant and nurture. In Christ we’ve been given unlimited hope. How can we steward places of welcome for those among whom we walk in the world, as we generously fling, plant, and nurture seeds of hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit?

Acts 27:21-32 – “21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul then stood up among them and said, ‘Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and thereby avoided this damage and loss. 22 I urge you now to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For last night there stood by me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 24 and he said, “Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before the emperor, and, indeed, God has granted safety to all those who are sailing with you.” 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. 26 But we will have to run aground on some island.’ 27 When the fourteenth night had come, as we were drifting across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. 28 So they took soundings and found twenty fathoms; a little farther on they took soundings again and found fifteen fathoms. 29 Fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. 30 But when the sailors tried to escape from the ship and had lowered the boat into the sea on the pretext of putting out anchors from the bow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, ‘Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.’ 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat and set it adrift.”

The group has abandoned all hope. Everyone has reached the point of desperation. Paul realizes this and stands up to speak to them. The Bible makes no attempt to sanitize saints or situations. When we read Scripture, we see real people, warts and all. Paul can’t resist doing a little “I told you so” at the beginning of his talk with a “you should have listened to me.” Paul was human! But he doesn’t stop there. Paul goes on to offer great hope and encouragement as he speaks prophetically: “I urge you now to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.” He explains how he knows this, emphasizing that God has spoken to him, reassuring his listeners that God will grant safety to them all. He continues, “Keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told.” Notice that there is no mention of any of the other travelers possessing faith in God. There is no requirement that they all needed to believe in order for God’s word to be fulfilled. Paul assures them that because of who God is, God would be faithful to keep the promises he had spoken to them. Paul has clearly communicated what God was going to do. He concludes with this requirement: “We will have to run aground on some island.” That’s all we’re told in this part of the story. Luke does not provide any detail as to whether anyone responded or what they said or what they thought or what they decided. Paul simply obeys what God has given him to do and then leaves the outcome with God. This journey of following Jesus is a journey in which we’re learning to listen to, trust, and obey God. Whether we get explanations or not is up to God. An invitation to run aground does not sound very inviting. But it was what God told Paul to say. Just as in his courtroom trials, Paul continues to speak clearly, calmly, and concisely. The Lord calls us to be faithful to whatever he gives us to do or to say. It is God who softens and changes hearts. Paul’s faith in God and his faithfulness provides a place of stability and an invitation to faith for all who are with him. Sometimes God requires us to say or do really hard things that don’t seem very much like places of welcome. Our job is to listen, to trust, and to obey. How can we simply listen to, trust, and obey God even when it’s hard?

Acts 27:33-38 – “33 Just before daybreak, Paul urged all of them to take some food, saying, ‘Today is the fourteenth day that you have been in suspense and remaining without food, having eaten nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take some food, for it will help you survive, for none of you will lose a hair from your heads.’ 35 After he had said this, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it and began to eat. 36 Then all of them were encouraged and took food for themselves. 37 (We were in all two hundred seventy-six persons in the ship.) 38 After they had satisfied their hunger, they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea.”

Paul says that no one has eaten anything for fourteen days. In the Greek, it’s clear that the text is not saying that these 276 persons had eaten nothing at all. Rather, for two weeks, they had not had any regular meals. Paul’s response reminds me of another very familiar story. Let’s turn back to Mark 6:31a, 37a, 41-42 – “So many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat … [Jesus said], ‘You give them something to eat’ … Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, [Jesus] gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied.”

There was a traditional way in which Jewish family meals were done. In today’s story, Paul warmly welcomes the soldiers, the crew, and other passengers together as a makeshift family preparing to receive much-needed nourishment. He stood as the head of this non-homogenous household, gave thanks to God, broke the loaf, and began to eat. As though suddenly awakened from a stress-induced stupor, “all of them were encouraged and took food for themselves.” The hunger of each and every one of the 276 persons on board was satisfied. No matter how you look at this, this is a miracle! God’s presence and peace were poured out on each person in such a way that they were able to calmly consume a full meal for the first time in two weeks. The God who created us knows us perfectly. The Lord knows just what will satisfy the deepest longings of our bodies, our minds, our hearts, our lives, because God desires human flourishing. God cares deeply about every detail of my life, your life, and the life of each and every person on the planet. One of God’s many promises is that “he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things” (Psalm 107:9). In Christ we know that God will satisfy our hunger and our thirst, no question about it. We are also to notice those who are fearful or troubled and in need of nourishment. We can offer nourishment to those around us, whether literally or spiritually. Brothers and sisters, there is enough food at God’s table for all. There is a place at God’s table for all. God can satisfy every kind of hunger in every person, no exceptions. How can we invite and welcome others to join us at God’s table? Who are you and I willing to invite into our community of faith, this place of welcome, so that they can taste and see that the Lord is good?

The story in Acts continues. Our stories continue. God isn’t done with us yet. There’s more, so much more. Let’s spend some time lingering in the presence of God and listening to God’s voice right here, right now. Come, Holy Spirit!