The Word of the Day is '"commend." This term holds an essential place in our spiritual life. It's not easy to part with loved ones. At times of parting, we are sadly aware that we will no longer be present with them. They will not be able to care for us, nor will we be able to care for them. But there is one thing that can give us comfort. We can commend those we love to the Lord.
In our reading of Acts 20:16-18, 28-36, Paul meets with the
elders of the church in Ephesus for what was likely to be the last time (Acts
20:25). He gives his farewell instructions that they are to take care of the
flock to which they have been entrusted. Then, in a touching act of faith, he
commends them "to God and to the Word of His grace" (OSB Acts 20:32).
Today, we will learn from our study what it means to "commend ourselves,
and each other and our whole life to Christ our God" (St-Tikhon's 1984,
31, passim).
A Sad Farewell
Few places in the scriptures have such gravity as this scene
of Paul parting with the Ephesian elders. Paul is on his way to Jerusalem and
wants to get there before Pentecost. Therefore, to save time by traveling into
the city, he requests that the elders of Ephesus meet with him at Melitos on
the coast of Anatolia.
In portions of the chapter not assigned, Paul says that he
knows that trials and imprisonment will come to him. And he says that they will
"see his face no more" (OSB Acts 20:25). Therefore, he reminds them
of his ministry along them "with all humility, with many tears and
trials" (OSB Acts 20:19). He recalls his open preaching to both Jews and
Gentiles of "repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus
Christ" (OSB Acts 20:21). And he says that since he declared "the
whole counsel of God," he is not responsible for those who have rejected
it (OSB 26 and OSB note on 20:26).
Thus, Paul puts the church in the hands of the elders that
he has trained and ordained. He tells them to "take heed to yourselves and
to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers" (OSB
vs. 28). The phrase "take heed" is a Greek word that is derived from
the idea of to hold the mind—we might say, "Keep in mind." It, therefore, means to "pay attention
to" or to "watch out for" (Strong's #4337, 213). Thus, Paul
warns against the wolves that will try to snatch disciples from the flock.
What Paul Can Do as He Departs
But having given his final instructions, what else can Paul
do? He must put them in the hands of the Lord. Luke quotes him, "I commend
you to God and to the Word of his grace" (OSB vs. 32). The term comes from
the thought of "placing beside" and means entrusting or commending to
another's care (Strong's 3908, 192). Paul thus hands over his church leaders to
the One who has far greater power to care for them than he does.
Accordingly, Paul puts the elders and the church in Ephesus
into the embrace of God and the Word of grace. God can shelter them from every
harm. On the other hand, the Word of grace is able "to build you up"
(OSB vs. 32). That is, the Word of God will "edify" them, nurturing
them in the ways of God and the virtues of discipleship. However, the Word is
also able "to give you an inheritance among all those who are
sanctified" (OSB vs. 42). The Word not only leads to repentance and
justification, but it produces sanctification. As a transitive verb, the term
sanctified means "to be set apart for the purposes of God," and as an
intransitive verb, it means to "be made holy" (Strong's #37, 3).
Noting that he had supported himself in his ministry to them
and urging them to help the poor and weak, Paul finished his farewell. Then
"He knelt down and prayed with them" (vs. 36). After many tears and
embraces, Paul left, and his ship set sail for Cos, Rhodes, and Patra (Acts
21:1) on the way to Jerusalem.
For Reflection
Just before He took his last breath, the Lord Jesus cried
out, "Father into thy hands I commit my spirit" (OSB Luke 23:46). The
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "commit" as "to put into
charge or trust." A better translation wold be "I commend my
spirit." The dicttonary defines commend as "to entrust into the
care."[ii] The difference between
the two terms "commit" and "commend" may be subtle, but it
is essential. Both mean placing something or someone into the hands of another.
But "to commend" specifically means to put something or someone into
caring hands. Therefore, the translations that Paul says, "I commend you
to God and the Word…" and that the Lord Jesus cries, "I commend m
spirit" (KJV Luke 23:46) are best.
Putting It All in God's Hands
In the Divine Liturgy, the prayer "we commend
ourselves, and each other, and our whole life to Christ our God"
(St-Tikhon's 1984, 31 passim) follows a series of petitions of supplication to
the Lord. But in the commendation, we do not merely make requests to God. We gather up all the
concerns and needs for which we have prayed, and we put all of them into God's
hands. God's goodness is greater than our goodness. His wisdom is wiser than
our wisdom. His knowledge of what we need to sustain our bodies and heal our
souls is more discerning than ours. Therefore, we pray in the spirit of the
petition of the Lord's prayer, "Thy will be done." We leave our prayers' concerns and desires to God's mercy.
Our Heavenly Father knows what we need before we ask
(Matthew 6:8). Accordingly, it is a great comfort to cast our burdens on the
Lord and to let Him take care of them according to His good will. Likewise,
placing "each other," our fellow members, family, and loved ones in
the Lord's good keeping is a great comfort. Thus, we know He will watch over
and care for them when we cannot. The same goes for us. It is a relief to hear
His Word, "Cast your cares on the Lord, for He cares for you" (1
Peter 5:7). We do not know what will happen to us even today or tomorrow. But
we can confidently commend ourselves and our whole lives to Him at every
moment.
Works Cited
St-Tikhon's. 1984. Service Books of the Orthodox Church.
Third ed. South Canaan, PA: St. Tikhon's Monastery Press.
Notes
[i] Merriam Wester
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commit).
[ii] Merriam-Webster
(https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commend).
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