One of the things that I think the church should be mindful of is the fact that very few people have a neat and tidy life. I know we probably wish we did, but it's very rare that any of us make it through life without highs and lows that add a little color to our story. Yet sometimes, it can be tempting to try to present ourselves to each other as if everything has always been going well for us without any bumps or bruises along the way. Let's take a break from doing that because that isn't realistic, and in some ways, it may also be robbing God of the opportunity to testify to His goodness through our bumpy experiences.
When I look back over the course of my life, I see my better moments and my lower seasons. I remember a time when I tried to do things the world's way, only to discover that doesn't work. I remember the context I grew up in that, for a season, was a complete disaster, and yet God brought wonderful things out of that mess.
I'll give you a personal example of something that really bothered me at one season, but now I can see how God was using it. When my parents divorced, my mother was awarded custody and we moved into a government-subsidized housing project. I wasn't crazy about that, and I missed the days of us having a home of our own. When she remarried a few years later, we moved into her new husband's home. The front of that house was hit by a drunk driver and never fixed. The yard had at least 50 cars in various stages of disrepair and decomposition.
One of my lowest moments was when a man came to the door of the house and asked if he could speak to the owner of the junkyard. I told him this wasn't a junkyard and closed the door. Up to that point, it hadn't occurred to me that people thought I lived in a junkyard, but now that I knew, I did my best to keep where I lived a secret as best as I could. I didn't want my friends to know because I was embarrassed. But now, I'm grateful for that experience because the Lord used it to show me things I wouldn't have understood otherwise, and that season of life was a long-term gift that he blessed me with because it was in that season that I learned to rely on Him, and He helped me develop an emotional strength that I would need for later challenges in life.
Colossians 4:7-11 lists the names of five people who had some very unique backgrounds and experiences. When I look at a passage like this, it reminds me that God can make something great out of our unconventional and messy lives. And the people He brings into your life are there to help you, inspire you, and teach you something.
I. Tychicus - The guy who is willing to walk with you and stand by your side
““Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts,””
Accountability is something ministry leaders need. Ministry isn't meant to be done alone, and if the Lord raises you up to a position of leadership or influence in the church, it's important to demonstrate character, integrity, and transparency. As Paul was closing out the words of this letter, I believe that's exactly what he was attempting to demonstrate.
Paul told the believers at Colossae that Tychicus would tell them about everything he was doing while he was absent from them. Paul describes Tychicus as a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord. When he visited the Colossians, he would let them know what Paul had been working on and the ways the Lord had been blessing the work. He would share this with the goal of encouraging their hearts, particularly if they were worried about Paul's well-being while he was under house arrest.
But who was Tychicus? Tychicus was the kind of friend we should all want. He was the kind of guy who would walk the extra mile with you. He was the type of friend who would stand by your side when the rest of the world was turning its back on you.
Tychicus is mentioned elsewhere in Scripture. We see a reference to him in Acts 20 when Paul was in the process of revisiting some of the churches he had planted earlier in his ministry and bringing an offering from those churches to Jerusalem where it would be dispersed to the believers who were struggling there. When it was discovered that a plot to harm Paul was being hatched by some of his opposition, Paul changed the planned direction of his travels and Tychicus was one of the men who accompanied him on his journey to Jerusalem.
Aren't you grateful for the people the Lord has brought into your life that reflect the kind of character you see in Tychicus. I think people like that who stick with us during hard seasons and walk with us when others may be plotting against us are the type of people who remind us in a visible way of the steadfast presence of Jesus. Tychicus was one of those guys who ministered to Paul this way.
II. Onesimus - The runaway slave who finds freedom in Jesus
“ “and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here.””
I love a good redemption story. In the city of Colossae, slavery was a common thing, just as it was all throughout the Roman empire. One particular slave, a man named Onesimus, decided to attempt to escape from slavery by running away. Onesimus was a bondservant to another man named Philemon. In fact, Paul's letter to Philemon addresses the issues that related to what Onesimus had done. But somewhere along the way, both Philemon and Onesimus became believers in Christ and Paul encouraged Philemon to forgive Onesimus, welcome him back to Colossae, stop treating him like a slave, and start treating him like a brother.
Onesimus was at one time confused about his identity. He knew that in Roman society, he was a slave, and for many years I'm sure that's how he viewed himself. But now he had a new identity and a new purpose. He found liberty in Christ Jesus, and instead of spending the rest of his life running from his past, he acknowledged it, embraced his new identity as a beloved brother in Christ, took the risk to return to Colossae, and spent the rest of his life serving as an example to the church of the new things Jesus does in a life that's submitted over to Him.
III. Aristarchus - The guy who doesn't fear prison because he's looking forward to a better life
“ “Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you,””
Paul also took a moment to mention his friend Aristarchus. Aristarchus was someone who had accompanied Paul during the course of his third missionary journey, and in Acts 19 we are told that he was arrested after the riot in Ephesus that took place when silversmiths who profited from the sale of idols became fearful that Paul's preaching of the gospel would change hearts and discourage people from buying their idols. So they started a riot and attempted to turn the matter into a city-wide argument about religion and patriotism. The city erupted, and several people who were associated with Paul were arrested, including Aristarchus.
I don't suppose most of us hope to be arrested, but isn't it interesting to see just how many of the people we admire from Scripture had been imprisoned at some point during their life? That was true of many of the prophets in the Old Testament. It's also true of men like John the Baptist, Aristarchus, all the apostles, and even Jesus Christ Himself. In fact, one of the strongest believers I know with a great understanding of the word of God is a man who spent 25 years of his life in prison.
At present, throughout this world, there are believers who are being imprisoned because they do not fear proclaiming the gospel of Jesus. So when I look at their example, and I remember the example of the believers who came before us, I'm reminded that we don't need to fear being imprisoned for our faith if we experience persecution someday, because just like those who came before us, we're looking forward to a better day when we will live in Christ's presence, free for all eternity.
IV. Mark - The guy who once abandoned you, but grew up and became your friend
“ “and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him),””
I was recently looking through some social media posts from about a decade ago, reminiscing about funny moments. As I did that, I started looking through the comments and it dawned on me that some of the people who were part of my life during that season are basically a memory now. Some have passed away, but some just disappeared, and in a sense abandoned our friendship. I know I'm not the only person to have experienced that.
In fact, Paul experienced that as well. At one point, Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, had committed to serve together in ministry with Paul, but then abandoned the work (Acts 15:38). For a while, Paul didn't want to have anything to do with Mark. I don't know if he thought of Mark as being dishonest, immature, a wimp, or a total loser, but Paul rejected the idea of serving with Mark in any capacity for a season.
In time, Paul's feelings toward Mark drastically changed. I'm guessing some of that had to do with Mark repenting of his immaturity, but I think much of that also had to do with Christ reminding Paul of the grace and mercy He had shown him, even though he didn't deserve it. Mark became someone Paul trusted, considered a valuable friend, and Paul encouraged others to welcome as well. The church has benefitted from this restoration every since. In fact, this is the very same Mark who, with the help of the Apostle Peter, wrote the Gospel of Mark, which was the first gospel account to be written.
V. Justus - The guy who saw the light and had a change of heart
“ “and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me.””
One other companion of Paul's is mentioned in this passage. He was a man named Jesus by his parents who was called Justus by his friends. We don't know much about Justus. In fact, the only thing we know about him from this passage is that he did ministry work with Paul, comforted him, and had grown up in a Jewish household (which is why he was called a man of the circumcision).
This means that somewhere along the way, Justus saw the light and had a change of heart. Even though many people who shared his national and religious heritage rejected Jesus Christ, Justus believed in Jesus, served Jesus, stood by those who were persecuted for the name of Jesus, and even went by a nickname out of respect for the name of Jesus.
So what do you take away from a brief passage of Scripture like this?
One of my big takeaways is the fact that Jesus is delighted to take people with all kinds of backgrounds and life experiences, and welcome them into His family. Then He grants all kinds of people who may have once felt like a misfit the opportunity to become a genuine partner with Him in His mission to rescue a lost world.
So, I don't know what parts of your life may feel messy or unconventional, and I don't know if those parts feel recent or distant, but either way, I wouldn't get too hung up on them. Every one of the men in this passage, including Paul, had an unconventional and potentially messy past, yet here we are talking about them and rejoicing in what Christ did through them during their era of history.
Jesus is still making history, so don't be too shocked when he does something special through you as well.
© John Stange, 2022
