Why Would We Turn Our Back On Jesus Now?
Good Morning Friends,
The first missionaries in the Bible had it tough. Scripture says they were being sent out like sheep among wolves. One might think it reasonable to throw in the towel and call it quits but Jesus did not quit, and Paul was not going to either. The standard had been set. In today’s lectionary text Paul is really pleading and at the same time commanding Timothy to fulfill the ministry to which he has been called. He wanted to instill in him the joy of the mission and to encourage him not to leave his post of service. For if you give up, you lose the good fight. Well begun is half done but not nearly good enough. Still, sometimes we consider dusting off our shoes and moving on. But at the same time, it would be well to consider the risks of self-deception and antidotes of apostasy. After all we have been through, Why Would We Turn Our Back On Jesus Now?
Scripture: After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
Luke 10:1-9 (NRSV)
for Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful in my ministry. I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will pay him back for his deeds. You also must beware of him, for he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.
2 Timothy 4:10-17b (NRSV)
Message: Sometimes we need to give up things to follow Jesus. And sometimes we need to put down our crutches to walk. But here is the thing about being determined and having integrity in the face of such adversity that we might well think of cutting and running. Always we need to hold fast to our calling. Such is the situation in today’s text: Paul is in jail and about to get his head cut off by a crazy Roman Emperor and this is affecting his personal relationships.
And one of his fellow workers decided it is not for him. He had been through Paul’s first imprisonment and one might conjecture cannot face another. Really that is tough working conditions. But such is the work of the Kingdom and those called into service. It includes suffering. So, who am I to judge Demas from my perspective of living in the fantasy bubble of Western Civilization? Still there must be more to the story we are not told. Maybe it was fear of death, or a lack of Paul’s trust, or maybe a disagreement with the path of martyrdom Paul was choosing, or maybe it was for other, personal, or business reasons. We do not know but we nevertheless read our own fears and our own judgment into the situation. The thing is that Demas was all too human. And a superficial view of life would say that he was not accountable for his actions to Paul or anyone else but himself. But what today’s message to Timothy is saying is that Jesus is observing and will be the judge. So maybe Demas was a fake but maybe he served his purpose just as God intended. Maybe his return to Thessalonica was something not so egregious. It is hard to say. Maybe Demas had a theological issue with Paul. After all he was from Thessalonica and they did not always agree with Paul as the letters to them make clear. Still, despite all this conjecture, Paul is clearly communicating to Timothy and to Mark as well that some men will not endure the distance with individual ministries and that is not the same as giving up on God, but it might be a precursor to it. So, in some very pragmatic ways Paul is right to paint this as having a high cost, for everyone who leaves the faith makes it a little more difficult for the next convert. Unfortunately, the story of Demas is still being lived out today by those who choose the temporary benefits of this world over eternal life and that means most of those in the pews on Sunday morning, but even more and more each day who are not. Self-preservation and self-interest are not bad, in fact they are good things, but there is more to life than living what appears to be a risk-free existence. The bottom line is that the work of Christ in us and in the world involves suffering and the very suffering we experience is a sign we are fighting the good fight.
And So, there is a fight to win friends when we walk in the light. For here we must depend on the Lord, as our strength and not our personal wealth or ability. And we are to never, never, never give up on God in this work. The message here is that, even though we do not know if Demas ever returned to service, we can know that there is a sense of loss felt by every true minister of Christ not in service. We can know that Christ does not remove the joy of submissive service for those who serve by divine appointment. We can know that Christ stands ready to restore and reconcile each one whom He appoints when they choose God’s ways over the world’s ways. Friends, the joy that comes from service is real. Have patience and faith and remember that the suffering we have in service is nothing compared to glory of God to come. And we are to take it the distance, for Jesus wants us to never give up even though we might not continue in specific works and ministries. Com on now, we can never let go of Christ after what we have been through.
Pray we recognize the signs of a false faith. Pray we not love the world. Pray we not leave our first love. Pray we not deny Jesus and the Word he brings. Pray we remember God’s good work in us. Pray we have patience today and faith in the future. Pray we make amends with joy.
Pray we realize there is a fight in living in the light. Pray we repent. Pray we encourage other believers. Pray we are not quitters who lose out. Pray we trust Jesus to the end. Pray faith wins out over fear. Pray we are motivated more by God than the glitter of this world. Pray we not outrun our coverage. Pray we are prepared to share the Gospel. Pray we are prepared for rejection. Pray we keep a focus on the goal knowing that Jesus is objectively watching and will ultimately be the judge. Pray that when we can no longer do the heavy lifting that we give praise and thanks and rejoice in a way to help the success of others on their journey. Pray we live our faith. Pray we stand firm in our faith. Pray we spread our faith. Pray that when we face adversity it brings out the best in us. Pray we never retire from praying. Pray we realize that there is no turning back. Pray we become victors with Christ.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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