Skip to main content

It Ain't Over Yet


Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments. (II Timothy 4:9-13) 

            “I have fought the good fight” Paul told Timothy. “I am ready to be poured out like a drink offering.” Yesterday’s passage was all about endings. Paul knew he didn’t have much time left. He’d done all he could. He’d done enough. It’s thought that II Timothy was written around 67 AD, which would have made him about 62 years old. That’s about the time that people today think they should be allowed to retire. They’ve worked enough. Of course, in Paul’s case, his retirement party apparently involved his receiving an ax or a sword through the neck. 
            While Paul was clearly looking forward to retirement, today’s passage takes a different tone. Paul wanted Timothy to come to him. This may have been partly because he was feeling abandoned by friends who weren’t strong enough to be true. It may have been partly because he just missed his friend and student, but there were practical matters. He wanted Timothy to bring is cloak, and some scrolls and parchments… books. He may have wanted them in order to bequeath them to specific people, but I suspect he wanted them for his own use. Getting ready to retire didn’t mean slowing down, taking it easy, handing responsibility off to someone else. It means continuing to find ways to bring love, truth and faith into the lives of others. I hope when I’m sixty-two, and seventy-two, and eighty-two and maybe even in ninety-two that I am still learning and finding ways to share what I learn, and that I have friends who will support me in that adventure.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Prayer Lists

                 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (I Peter 2:2-3)   In connection with what I wrote yesterday about the possibility that I’m wrong, I’m feeling the need to go back to basics - craving spiritual milk because somehow, I missed something. It’s a little embarrassing, craving milk like a newborn, but the truth probably is that we are newborns many times in many ways in our lives. From God’s perspective, we may never be anything more than newborns, forever needing that milk. On the other hand, being a newborn can also be exciting because so much is new. My mind is playing pinball - ricocheting from one idea to the next and through six more before it happens to hit the third again. The main topic is prayer. I have at least seven organizing structures all somewhat influenced by the movie War Room , which I’v...
Post a Comment
Read more