Act 20: 1-6

Today’s passage tells of Paul’s travels through Macedonia and Greece. The details are pretty dry and straight forward somewhat like a log from a report. Some things I observed from this passage are of Paul’s perseverance in the face of opposition, the companions he recruited along his travels that not only give evidence as the fruit of his labor but also proved to be of good help, and his strategy in proclaiming the Gospel. There are times Paul refuted the Jews with a direct confrontation but this time, he decided to avoid the Jews that were plotting against him. We don’t have any details on this plot but Paul somehow knew enough to avoid them though it compromised the plans he had already made. Paul’s travel pattern shows flexibility that is able to accommodate unpredictable provocations but it also shows forethought and deliberate actions on how to proceed with his mission to proclaim the Gospel. I’m glad and even thankful on Paul’s behalf that he had Sopater, Aristarchus, Secundus, Gaius, Timothy, Tychius and Trophimus to accompany him through these laborious travels that almost always seems to be plagued with danger. Some people may ask ‘why do such bad things happen to good people’ when they look at Paul’s life as I have done as I looked the life of Job. I think the problem is not in the ‘bad things’ that occur in this life but our unpreparedness and our stubborn refusal to let go of the notion that only good things should happen to those that are ‘good’. I guess the lesson I learned today is how I ought to persevere in doing good despite all the ‘bad’ things that come my way. I think that is where the little miracles Esther shared about the other day are revealed in our daily life. That like Paul, we have the ability to persevere in doing good and overcome the evils in and around us because we have Jesus Christ as our constant companion and helper.