Acts 20:25-38

‘And now I know that none of you, among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom, will ever see my face again. Therefore I declare to you this day that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son. I know that after I have gone, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Some even from your own group will come distorting the truth in order to entice the disciples to follow them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to warn everyone with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the message of his grace, a message that is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all who are sanctified. I coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothing. You know for yourselves that I worked with my own hands to support myself and my companions. In all this I have given you an example that by such work we must support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, for he himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” ’

When he had finished speaking, he knelt down with them all and prayed. There was much weeping among them all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, grieving especially because of what he had said, that they would not see him again. Then they brought him to the ship.

Farewells are almost always difficult. But, like Paul, we must learn to commend the friends we have grown to love and for whom we have cared, to the greater love and care of God.

Paul’s farewell to his friends from Ephesus, with whom he had lived and among whom he had worked for some two years, was fraught with emotion – they prayed and wept and embraced and kissed, knowing they would not meet again in this world – and then they took him to his ship.

The nineteenth century Irish church historian, C. H. Crookshank, described John Wesley’s final farewell to Ireland in 1789 in similar terms: “Before going on board, he gave out a hymn, and the crowd joined him in its singing. He then knelt down, and asked God to bless them and their families, the Church and especially Ireland. Shaking of hands followed, many wept, and not a few fell on the old man’s neck and kissed him. He went on board, the vessel moved …”

Like Paul, John Wesley had nurtured the societies that had come to faith under his teaching and ministry; they were precious to him and it was so difficult to “let go and let God”. But, under God, it had to be done – they were captive all to the gospel and they were in the hands of God.

We all have experiences of such sad farewells, but we should be comforted, in the full sense of the word, by Paul’s commendation of his friends to God and to the message of God’s grace. Can there be a better farewell gift?

Blessings as we remember all those we have had to say “farewell” to in one way or another.  Be safe!  Be well!  He is Risen Indeed!

 To Ponder:

• How does your personal faith enable you to say goodbye – to people, to positions in life, to projects, to what has become precious to you?
• Reflect on such a time in your life. What did the pain of parting teach you?