Read with Me
2 Timothy 1:15-18 (HCSB)
This you know: All those in Asia have turned away from me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he diligently searched for me and found me. May the Lord grant that he obtain mercy from Him on that day. And you know very well how much he ministered at Ephesus.
Listen with Me
Paul has suffered much for the gospel over his many years of ministry. His lists of sufferings in 2 Corinthians 6:4-10 and 11:23-29 is impressive. But in this last phase of his life and ministry he was suffering one thing he had not had to bear until now: loneliness.
In all Paul’s previous imprisonments, he had brothers and sisters in Christ visiting him and seeing to his needs. But now it had grown dangerous to even be seen as sympathetic to anyone under Nero’s sentence of death. That and the fact that Paul was now on death row, in the inner underground cells in the imperial prison, had made it virtually impossible for anyone, even those who wanted to, to get in to see him. Not even his companions from Asia, men who had stuck with him in good times and bad, had been able to see him.
Even though Paul understood that it was difficult and dangerous for those visiting him, that did not keep him from feeling sad and forsaken. And in this very short verse, he allows those genuine feelings to show through.
But even in his isolation, he could point to one bright light: on Onesiphorus from Ephesus. He and his household had a long history with Paul of mutual support and encouragement. And when Onesiphorus heard that Paul had been condemned, he did not shy away but came to Rome and searched until he found him in the prison. He visited with Paul, prayed with him, and encouraged his heart, something he really needed. Paul prayed blessings on his whole family.
Paul was God’s man, and he was faithful in all he did. But he was also very much a real human being who needed the encouragement of others from time to time. And here, he lets that need show more clearly than in his other letters.
Pray with Me
Father, even though we always have Your presence in our lives, we still need other people. That is why You have gathered us into communities of faith and why You have given us brothers and sisters in Christ to walk the path with us, for mutual encouragement and edification. It is why You told us not to forsake gathering together. We need each other. Help me, Lord, to not get so busy, so overwhelmed with my schedules and agendas, that I forget to allow others to minister to me and that I forget to minister to others. Amen.