Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Thursday, August 29, 2013 Read – Acts 27:31-38 Just before daybreak Luke tells us Paul enacts what for some must have seemed like a strange action. He gathers the voyagers for a meal. Meals have had a very important function in Luke’s gospel and the book of Acts. There is something about eating. Readers of Luke’s gospel are reminded of how Jesus broke the bread and opened the eyes of the travelers on the Emmaus Road. Readers are reminded that when Paul was brought into Damascus blinded by the light he did not eat until Ananias had restored his sight. What are we to make of this meal aboard ship? It is tempting, of course, to understand this meal as the celebration of Holy Communion. There are elements of the story that lend themselves to that interpretation – “he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it and began to eat” (Acts 27:35). Those words sound too much like the communion liturgy to be accidental. And Luke likely wants his readers to make that connection. But it is also more likely that Paul is not leading a communion service aboard the ship. Most of the participants would have had no way to make any connection to this meal as a celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Luke’s intent is that we, he readers who have been instructed in the gospel, make that connection. Celebrating Holy Communion in the midst of the storms of life is a wonderful thing to do. But that is likely not the case aboard the ship – Paul is rather simply attempting to bring courage and hope to his fellow travelers – two hundred and seventy-six in all! This is a good example of how Biblical writers can often take experiences that on their own have one meaning and, by “tweaking” the story just a bit, fill them with new meaning for those who read the story. Luke is a brilliant writer. He knows how to turn a sentence in a way that brings more than one meaning into play. Luke was not simply interested in providing his readers with interesting details but in helping them as they face the storms of life. We can take delight in the wonderful work of Luke.