Act 20:16 | KingComments | STEP | Early in the morning of Monday the company left Troas. The next destination is Assos. That destination will be reached by ship, but Paul wants to go on foot to Assos, about forty kilometers from Troas. That Paul undertakes this walk after a sleepless night makes once again clear that he possesses great willpower and also great physical strength. Luke doesn’t tell us why he wants to go on foot. Yet we can imagine that he does so in order to be alone and to talk to the Lord about His work. He wants to listen to Him, to be in His presence, without the presence of people who, unintentionally, often cause some ‘‘noise’’ in his interaction with the Lord. Every servant needs such a time once in a while, so that he can see his work and the responsibilities it entails, as God sees them. In Assos Paul joins them again. Luke and the others take him on board. They will have welcomed him warmly. They may have talked to each other about why Paul went on foot. After all, he was in such a hurry. It seems that they don’t ask him any questions and take him as he is. There is confidence in them that he is going his way with the Lord. This trust is of great significance in every situation in which someone goes a way that is different from the way we go. When we know that someone lives with the Lord, it is important to welcome such a person warmly when he comes to us. From Assos the company sails to Mitylene. After a day of sailing they arrive at Chios. After another day of sailing they are at Samos. Another day later they arrive in one of the harbors of Miletus. They have passed Ephesus. Paul consciously did that. He knows that docking in Ephesus would cause a long delay. His plan is fixed and time is running out.

‏ Acts 20:16

From Troas to Miletus

Early in the morning of Monday the company left Troas. The next destination is Assos. That destination will be reached by ship, but Paul wants to go on foot to Assos, about forty kilometers from Troas. That Paul undertakes this walk after a sleepless night makes once again clear that he possesses great willpower and also great physical strength.

Luke doesn’t tell us why he wants to go on foot. Yet we can imagine that he does so in order to be alone and to talk to the Lord about His work. He wants to listen to Him, to be in His presence, without the presence of people who, unintentionally, often cause some ‘‘noise’’ in his interaction with the Lord. Every servant needs such a time once in a while, so that he can see his work and the responsibilities it entails, as God sees them.

In Assos Paul joins them again. Luke and the others take him on board. They will have welcomed him warmly. They may have talked to each other about why Paul went on foot. After all, he was in such a hurry. It seems that they don’t ask him any questions and take him as he is. There is confidence in them that he is going his way with the Lord. This trust is of great significance in every situation in which someone goes a way that is different from the way we go. When we know that someone lives with the Lord, it is important to welcome such a person warmly when he comes to us.

From Assos the company sails to Mitylene. After a day of sailing they arrive at Chios. After another day of sailing they are at Samos. Another day later they arrive in one of the harbors of Miletus. They have passed Ephesus. Paul consciously did that. He knows that docking in Ephesus would cause a long delay. His plan is fixed and time is running out.