MAKE BIG IMPACTS THROUGH SMALL MERCIES
In Sunday's sermon on Acts 27:1-28:15, we learned that while Jesus doesn’t remove the presence of the storms of life, he’s never absent in their midst. Though he has the power to stop the storm with a word (see Lk 8:22-25), sometimes he doesn’t. In those cases, his power toward us is not experienced in his eliminating of our storms but in his empowering us to endure them. Power that often comes to us as sustaining and preserving mercy amidst the troubled waters of our lives.
PAUL’S MANY MERCIES
Go back and reread Acts 27:1-28:15. Do so with your eyes open and on the look out for all of the many and varied mercies that the Apostle Paul is met with in the midst of his voyage to Rome. There are many we can see, but one of the most notable ways Jesus is mercifully present with Paul is through other people:
Paul is accompanied on his voyage by his faithful friends, Luke and Aristarchus (27:2). These men enter into the storm with Paul and walk with him through it to the other side. Now, having others at our side doesn’t make the waves any less violent, but it sure does help us to endure
Paul’s voyage is bookended by his gathering with the local church (27:3, 28:14-15). Paul, after 2 churchless years imprisoned in Caesarea is able to go and “be cared for” by saints in Sidon thanks to the kindness of Julius the Centurion (27:3). He is filled up their fellowship before entering the storm. Afterward, as he has emerged from the storm, he is welcomed by the believers in Puteoli, “invited to stay with them for seven days,” and is subsequently met on the road to Rome by Christians from the city at both 44 and 33 miles out and accompanied on his way into the city (28:13-15). Jesus used these believers to encourage Paul on either end of his treacherous journey to Rome. What’s more, is that these people were perfect strangers to Paul! Yet, from them he received care and encouragement that Luke makes sure to mention in his account. How much more encouraging for us, who walk with one another from week to week, to be able to gather together as a church to be instruments of Jesus’ mercy to one another. Even when difficult seasons in life may tempt us to pull away from the church, Paul’s story teaches us that those are exactly the times in which we should press in. As we do, Jesus will use his people (our brothers and sisters in Christ) as instruments of his mercy to us.
Paul is encouraged by a common meal (27:33-38). While this is not a Communion meal itself, this common meal shared by Paul, his 2 Christian brothers, and even the 273 remaining unbelievers on board serves to encourage the whole ship. Paul leads the ship in this simple act of eating together and thanks God for his provision even in the midst of the storm. This food nourishes the bodies of the crew and strengthens all aboard to endure the impending beaching of the vessel and the shipwreck that would follow.
Paul is refreshed by the hospitality of the Maltese (28:1-2, 7-10). After the shipwreck, Paul and co. are met with “unusual kindness” as they are welcomed onto the island. Malta means “refuge” and truly, during the 3 months spent wintering on the island, Paul and the rest experienced a refuge and refreshing thanks to the welcome of these people. What’s worth noting is that these people, “the native people” are called “barbarians” in the Greek! That is, they don’t speak Greek or Latin (earning them the label of “barbarians”) and therefore stand at both a linguistic and cultural distance from Paul and the others. However, even though they did not fully understand Paul, they knew he’d just been through a significant storm and so they welcomed him in. They could not change what had happened or what was happening, nor could they fully empathize with Paul, but they could welcome him in and they did just that.
MERCY RECEIVED AND APPLIED
The upshot of all this for us is that, when we’re in the storm, we need to have open eyes and hands to see and receive the mercy of Christ that he extends to us through others. And when we’re not in the storm, we can for one another by making big impacts through small mercies. We can’t banish someone’s storm, fix their situations, or take their troubles away, but we can be with them and extend the mercies of Christ to them in order to help them persevere. Here’s a short-list of small mercies that we can extend to each other as we’re weathering storms together:
Offering or bringing a meal. Press into someone who is struggling by sharing a meal with them. This won’t take away the difficulty, but a meal with a brother or sister will strengthen their body as well as their spirit to carry on as they feel like they’re treading water.
Practicing hospitality and welcoming others into your home. Just as the Maltese welcome Paul and co. onto the island, welcome others into your home as well. Malta means' “refuge” and as Paul and co. spent 3 months wintering on the island, they were provided a temporary refuge from the storm and shipwreck that led them there. What’s more is that the Maltese, the “native people” of the island were, “barbarians” (the Greek word underlying the translation of “native people” in 28:2). This means that they did not speak Greek or Latin. Because of this, they stood at both a linguistic and cultural difference from Paul and the others. They hadn’t gone through the shipwreck with them and even now, they still couldn’t fully understand or empathize with them, but they welcomed them anyway. For us, we don’t need to be able to empathize perfectly with someone else in order to draw near to them and encourage them in their storm. We don’t need to have all the right words to say. We don’t need to have a shared experience. We don’t need to have a solution. We can provide a small refuge to a friend in them storm as we simply welcome and care for them.
Drawing near to a brother or sister and pressing in to encourage them even if you don’t know what to say or necessarily what you can do to “fix” their situation. Weather the storm with them and don’t worry if you can’t banish the storm away. Be an extension of Jesus’ presence with his people by your presence with a friend who is in the storm.
Telling someone when you’re praying for them when you’re praying for them. It’s not that it increases the effectiveness of your prayer, but it lets the person you’re praying for know that God is mindful of them and that they are cared for.
Serve them practically by bearing a burden or helping with a task.
Gently point out evidences of grace to help a friend fixated on the storm clouds that God is still at work in many ways. How is God at work? How is he using them fruitfully even in this season? Like Paul, they may be in the midst of a storm for the purpose of being an instrument of mercy to others. Paul was placed in the storm so that God could save the lives of the crew. He had to go through what he did, but in the midst of all his suffering, God was using him to care for, encourage, and minister to others.
Point them back to God’s promises again and again. Just as the angel came to Paul and assured him of Jesus’ promise to him, we should do the same. Jesus told Paul he’d certainly get to Rome and the angel told him that no storm would stop this. What promises of God can we share with others who are tempted to worry or fear that whatever stormy season they’re in could mean that God’s is not working to pursue his good purposes in their lives? What promises of God can we cast ourselves upon as we face the storms of life? (see Deut 31:8; Mt 28:20; James 4:6; Lam 3:22-23; Ps 34:18-19; Heb 4:14-16).
Let’s pursue the mercy that’s available in our life together.
