“On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight… Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead” (Acts 20:7, 9 NIV1984).
Eutychus was probably very tired from working all day. Knowing the importance of God’s Word and wanting to hear Paul’s message, he put aside his weariness. With the large crowd and the many lamps, the room became quite stuffy. It didn’t help that Paul talked “on and on.” In need of fresh air, Eutychus sat in a window. While his name means “fortunate,” he had quite the misfortune of falling asleep, plummeting to the ground and dying. Through Paul, he recovered, but because of his desire to hear the rest of Paul’s message, he chose to return to the room.
Most preachers try to stay within a limited time on Sunday mornings. Even with air conditioning and nice chairs, people still get restless. They have other things to do. Why is it so difficult to sit a little longer to hear God’s Word?
A person can easily fall asleep in church due to a health condition or being unusually tired; that’s understandable. Other people, however, allow distractions to take their minds away from the message. Often, they leave the sanctuary due to a lack of interest. It takes discipline for all of us to focus on God’s Word.
While some may find it difficult to sit through a longer-than-usual sermon, it doesn’t seem to be a problem sitting through a movie or watching a ballgame. If one can do that, should it not be even more important to look forward to hearing God’s Word, which doesn’t last nearly that long.
Luke 9:28-32 tells us that when Jesus went up a mountain to pray, He took Peter, James, and John with Him. While praying, Jesus was transfigured. His face and clothes changed into brilliance. And talking to Him were none other than Moses and Elijah. What a wonderful experience for the disciples, but where were they? Being quite sleepy, they nodded off and missed the first few minutes of this unforgettable experience. Finally, “coming to,” they were able to fully experience time with Jesus, Moses and Elijah. They almost missed one of the most important times of their lives.
Before His arrest, Jesus went to Gethsemane with His disciples to pray. He asked them to stay and keep watch (Mark 14:32-38). What an opportunity to share such a crucial time with Jesus, but they fell asleep. Twice, He came back and found them sleeping. He asked, “Could you not keep watch for one hour?” (Mark 14:37). We can miss important messages from the Lord by falling asleep or being distracted by other things.
After returning to Jerusalem from captivity, Ezra brought out the Book of the Law of Moses to read before all the people who had also returned. “He read it aloud from daybreak till noon…And all the people listened attentively…” (Nehemiah 8:3). They were attentive because they had not heard these words in many years. They didn’t want to miss one word, no matter how long it took. If only we could be as eager to hear God speak to us.
“Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long?” (Psalm 119:97). When we truly love God, we will truly love His Word.
