Paul’s movements are narrated in Acts, chapter 20. He stayed over the winter for three months in Corinth – during which time he wrote Romans! I try to imagine him shivering on a cold, blustery day, pacing the floor, talking out loud as a secretary tried to write it all down. Read some of Romans aloud, picturing Paul doing so. Just Romans chapter 8: the secretary’s jaw must have dropped when as he tried to get down the sheer spiritual genius of Paul’s words.

Troas is on the itinerary. An important port and trading town, Troas was named for what we think of as ancient Troy, whose ruins stand nearby. While Paul was there, did he or his companions ponder or even recite passages from Homer’s Iliad? Did Homer’s eloquence inspire Paul to be more eloquent himself?

And so it was in Troas that Paul got so long-winded that somebody died. I sense that Luke was intending a bit of humor here. Paul talked into the night, all the way to midnight (Luke’s actual words being “He talked so long…”). Luke vividly portrays the scene: there was “many lamps” to light up the room on the second floor. This must have been someone’s home, probably a person of means.

A young man, or older boy – the Greek implies either – was sitting in the window listening. Was he in the window to catch a cool breeze? Was his attention partly in the room but partly out in the world somewhere?

Eutychus: the name means “lucky.” He was anything but lucky. Lucky fell asleep, and then fell out of the window onto the pavement below. Was he dead? They thought he was dead. Paul rushed down, picked him up, and prayed – and if he’d been dead, he was no longer. Paul was preaching about the resurrection and – Voila! – a demonstration.

Never flustered, Paul marched right back up the stairs, picked up where he left off, and preached until dawn! Luke probably knew Paul, and may have found him long-winded. Or he may just be reporting facts. Or he might be implying that there is so much glorious good news in the Christian message that you just always need more time to explore it all.

Willie Jennings suggests that Paul might have noticed this young listener was perched in a precarious position. Did Paul notice him yawning, or his head beginning to nod? Did Paul notice him at all? Willie wonders how attentive we are to the people who listen to sermons or classes. We’re just ploughing through the information – but people are tired from work, from family issues, from being hungry, or weary of life. Especially the young: do we tire them out? Do our words, our services, our readings and sermons weary them? Do we recall their parents made them come? Can we insure we don’t bore but intrigue them – and not go on too long?