Worsened situation

“The next day as we were being violently tossed by the storm, they began to jettison the cargo.” (1) The situation worsened even further. (a) The people began to throw the cargo overboard. This was a method to lighten the ship. (b) In Jonah 1:5, the sailors also threw the cargo into the sea. (2) On the third day, they even threw the “ship’s tackle” overboard with their own hands. The “ship’s tackle” likely refers to sails, ropes, and anchors. However, they must have kept the bare minimum necessary for survival. “Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us, from then on all hope of our being saved was slowly abandoned.” (1) Luke records, “Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days…” (Acts 27:20). The drifting lasted for a full two weeks. At that time, the compass had not yet been invented. A compass is a tool that determines direction by using a magnet that points north and south. Before the invention of the compass, sailors determined their position by observing landscapes and celestial bodies such as the sun and stars. If neither the sun nor stars were visible, it meant they had completely lost their sense of direction. (2) The situation reached the point where “from then on all hope of our being saved was slowly abandoned.” Among the 276 people on board, Paul alone still held on to hope. Even Luke, who was traveling with him, fell into despair. However, Paul had God’s promise that he would go to Rome. “When many had lost their appetites, Paul then stood among them and said, ‘Men, you should have followed my advice and not have set sail from Crete, and thereby spared yourselves this damage and loss. And yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.’” In the midst of the storm, no one had eaten for a long time. This was due to seasickness and a loss of appetite caused by despair. The crew believed that if the storm continued any longer, there would be no hope of survival. At the worst moment, Paul stood up and spoke words of encouragement. Paul had a compass of the word of God (God’s will). What is the mission of a person who possesses this compass? It is to speak hope to those who are in despair. Paul said twice, “Keep up your courage” (Acts 27:22, 27:25). As Christians, we are people who walk toward hope. We have a mission to share that hope with our neighbors.