Acts 27:1-8 (NIV)
When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.
The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs. From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us. When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.
This section is mostly a brief log of the first leg of Paul’s journey to Rome via the Mediterranean. The sea route was much more direct than traveling there by land but was also more dangerous. The winds on the sea are fickle and can complicate the journey, or even make it deadly.
This passage tells us all we know about Julius the centurion, the man in charge of making sure that the prisoners were delivered safely to Rome. He was a trustworthy man, a leader of 100 soldiers in the Imperial Regiment of the Roman army. But he was also a kind and compassionate man, allowing Paul some freedom and the ability to receive some care from his friends at Sidon.
Luke, though doubtless a frequent visitor of Paul’s in the prison at Caesarea, had now rejoined Paul full-time on the journey, as is shown by his use of “we” and the many careful first-hand details of the trip. Aristarchus from Thessalonica was also a traveling companion of Paul at this point.
The journey was difficult and slow due to the contrary winds. At Myra, Julius transferred the prisoners to a boat that was headed for Italy. It was quite common for people to hire a boat that would get them as far as possible, then later move to another boat that was going further, or in this case, all the way to their destination.
During all this time, Paul simply rode along, assured that he was in the center of God’s will and content to be carried along in that will by things that were outside his direct control. That is an important skill set for Christians in every era to embrace. So often it is tempting when there is a lull to take matters into our own hands and force the process to move forward, instead of merely resting in God’s will.
Father, You’re absolutely right. I recognize in my own life how difficult it often is just to go along for the ride in the center of your will instead of trying to push things ahead on our own. Especially in this era of the instant, we don’t wait well. Forgive me, Lord, and help me to be able to rest in Your will when that is what is necessary. Amen.
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