Eutychus probably sounds like it needs to be followed by “bless you.” “Euty…who?” You might be asking. Or you might remember him being mentioned in Bonnie Kotler’s blog a few weeks ago. I’m going to unpack the story a little bit more as Eutychus just happens to be one of the main characters in a favorite Bible story of mine.
In Acts 20:7 we read that Paul was talking with a group of people in an upper room until midnight. We know from Paul’s letters that he likes to talk and does not like to use a lot of punctuation. One thought can go on for paragraphs with very little in terms of periods or commas. So, I imagine when he spoke it was similar. I’m sure his message was important and of value, but there comes a point when attention spans wane. And Eutychus is there listening. We don’t know much about him other than that he was a young man, but I would imagine he had a long day already and then comes to hear Paul speak. Poor guy is tired. And Paul just keeps on talking. I can just picture Eutychus, sitting in the window, feeling the breeze–a pleasant break from the stuffy room and he “sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer” (vs 9).
We’ve all been there, right?! Wanting to pay attention; trying to take notes but drowsiness overtakes us and we doze off. But Eutychus doesn’t just doze off. He’s in a drooling, deep REM sleep. And while he’s sleeping, he falls out the third story window–and the fall kills him! What is kind of a funny story turns tragic quickly. But verses 10 and 12 tell us “But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms said, ‘Do not be alarmed, for life is in him'…And they took the youth away alive.”
And I just love this next part. Not to be deterred, after this, Paul went back up to the room and “conversed with them until a long while, until daybreak” (vs 11).
So, the moral of the story–don’t fall asleep in a third story window?
There is more to the story than that though. Out of all the stories that could have been included in the Bible, this is one of them. Sure, it makes me chuckle, but I also wonder why? I’m not sure, but here are a few thoughts I have.
I think I’m mostly drawn to how relatable it is; how it shows our humanity and God’s goodness to us despite our tendencies to drift away and sleep. We sin (aka–fall asleep and out of windows) all the time, and we should be dead because of that, but through Jesus we have forgiveness and new life.
Paul had compassion on Eutychus. Paul could have been offended and ridiculed Eutychus. He could have been pompous and used Eutychus as an example of what happens when you fall asleep during one of his talks. But he doesn’t do any of that. He stops what he’s doing and goes to Eutychus and raises him from the dead. It makes me think about when someone in my life makes a mistake, how do I react? Do I make fun of them, or do I speak words of life back into them?
Lastly, God chose to use Paul to raise Eutychus from the dead. This doesn’t happen very often in the Bible. It’s kind of a big deal! And that’s all we hear about him. I wonder what his life was like after that experience. I sure hope he did something incredible with his second chance…and stays away from upper room windows!
This story is a great reminder to be thankful for our salvation, and the grace and compassion we receive when we do stumble. May we stay awake and diligent in our faith!
ABOUT OUR BLOGGER
Danielle (Dani) Rupp grew up in a small town in Ohio and is a true Buckeye fan, though she tries not to be obnoxious about it. In 2011 she came to PA to earn her Master of Social Work degree. After graduation Dani accepted a position as a mental health therapist for children and adolescents in Coatesville. She was a nanny for several years as well. During that time she lived in Kennett Square and attended Willowdale Chapel. She returned several years ago from South Asia where she learned to tolerate spicy food and cross the roads without being hit, as well as volunteered with International Justice Mission in their Aftercare Department. In her free time, Dani enjoys going on mission trips/traveling, running, reading, and connecting with loved ones—preferably over coffee and a sweet treat.