NOTES for Act 20:17-27

Probably few people, looking back on their lives, can say that they have missed nothing of what God gave them, that every little thing carefully placed at their disposal was used. Paul, however, can say this, because he “did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.” This “not missing” an opportunity, making use of it in every situation, is one of the most difficult spiritual exercises. As time goes on, it becomes harder to forgive the same thing a hundred times. As time goes on, it becomes more repugnant to repent of the same thing. Attempts to fight evil seem increasingly useless. Conversations with people seem like casting pearls before swine. And it only gets worse. But through the example of forgiving “up to seventy times seven” (Mt 18:21–22), the Lord teaches us that this is our basic work. No matter how hopeless the task looks, we must hopefully go through the same thing hundreds and thousands of times. We must be ready to bear witness with everything we have to His Death and Resurrection. We even have support on this path. We know that such a life is possible for a human being because Paul was a human being just like us, and he lived this way.