It’s always hard to say goodbye to those whom we love. I am sure that we have all had the experience of parting with close friends or family and feeling that lump in our throats. We want to hang on and not let go. That is the picture that comes to mind as we imagine Paul speaking with the Elders from Ephesus for the final time. He had spent three years with them, and they had been through a great deal together. However, he now felt compelled to go on to Jerusalem even though he knew that “prison and hardships are facing me.” As always, Paul was resolute in his mission and so he shared some final thoughts with the Ephesians.
In these last moments together, he reminded them that they should live a life marked by service and generosity toward others. For Paul service and generosity were not just ideas, but actions that he had demonstrated time and again through his life. He had set an example for the Ephesians that endured long after he sailed away. They would not just remember his words; they would also remember his actions. Through his life of service, he showed them what it meant to be a servant of Christ.
He reminded them that Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” We know from our own lives the joy that comes from giving to others. Scientific studies have shown that giving increases the chemicals in our brain that make us feel good. In essence we are wired for generosity because we are created in God’s image. When we serve others and extend generosity, we become more like Christ and become the person that he created us to be. Tim Keller wrote that “’a life poured out in doing justice for the poor’ is the inevitable sign of any real gospel faith.” That is the life that Paul lived with the Ephesians and that is the life that we are called to live today.