Thoughts for the Day

When the fourteenth night had come, as we were drifting across the sea of Adria, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. So they took soundings and found twenty fathoms; a little farther on they took soundings again and found fifteen fathoms. Fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. 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, Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, ‘Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.’ Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat and set it adrift.

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. 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.’ 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. Then all of them were encouraged and took food for themselves. (We were in all two hundred and seventy-six persons in the ship.) After they had satisfied their hunger, they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea.

In the morning they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned to run the ship ashore, if they could. So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea. At the same time they loosened the ropes that tied the steering-oars; then hoisting the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach. But striking a reef, they ran the ship aground; the bow stuck and remained immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the force of the waves. The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, so that none might swim away and escape; but the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, and the rest to follow, some on planks and others on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

(Today's comment has been kindly written by Tim, a Lay Reader and professional actor).

After two weeks lost in an empty ocean, Paul and Luke and everyone on this ship trying to sail to Rome have survived and are nearing land, as Paul had predicted through his faith in the angel's words. The sailors - the only ones who can handle the ship - are ready to desert and leave their passengers helpless, but Paul sees their trick and directs Centurion Julius and his men to cut away their means of escape. Julius now pays attention to Paul who knows that when the storms of life surround us we must stick together.

One way to promote comradeship is to eat together. Luke uses almost exactly the same words about Paul taking bread and giving thanks as he did in his gospel about Jesus at the last supper. Paul would have that in mind as he encouraged those with him. And Luke giving the number of people on the ship reminds us of his account of the feeding of the 5000. When we share Holy Communion we remember a whole range of wonderful things about Jesus. Paul would write to the Corinthians 'Though we are many, we are one body because we all partake in one bread'.

Britain's Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) publishes a magazine with stories of ships in similar situations but there were no life-saving organisations in Paul's day. The soldiers are afraid that, if their prisoners escape, they will be punished so it will be better to report that they all died at sea. As we saw in Acts 16.25-28 after an earthquake had destroyed the prison, the jailer assumed the prisoners must have escaped, but they had all stayed close to Paul. Julius already trusts and respects Paul and exerts his authority to stop any killing. So the angel's promise is fulfilled. God is sending Paul to Rome and everyone helping him to get there will be safe. Literally they were all in the same boat and now they're all out of it - staying together with the man of faith.

Lord,
when we're in trouble we can be tempted
to abandon or hurt those around us.
Deliver us from such evil through our faith in your Son
who taught us that in all things
you work for the good of those who love you,
who have been called according to your purpose.
Amen.