I KNEW YOU WOULD COME

 

 

The story is told of two inseparable friends who enlisted together, trained together, and fought together during World War I. During an attack, one of the duo was critically wounded in a field filled with barbed wire obstacles and because of that, was unable to crawl back to his foxhole. The entire area was under enemy fire and it was suicidal to try to reach him.

Nevertheless, undaunted, his friend decided to give it a go. Before he could get out of his own trench, his sergeant yanked him back and told him, “You’re mad! It’s far too late. You can’t do him any good and you’ll only end up getting yourself killed.” A few minutes later the officer turned his back and instantly his mate went after his friend.

Shortly afterwards, he staggered back, mortally wounded, with his friend now dead in his arms. The sergeant was both angry and deeply moved. “What a waste,” he blurted out. “He’s dead and you’re dying; it just was not worth it.” With almost his last breath, the dying soldier retorted “Oh yes it was, for when I got to him, the only thing he said was, “I knew you would come, Jim.”

Paul’s greatest desire was to be surrounding on the day of Christ by people who made it to heaven because of him (1 Thess. 2:19).  They will be evidence that he had lived a fruitful life on earth (Phil.2:16). Will there be people in Heaven who made it there because of you? People you won to Christ? People you inspired and encouraged until they made it? People you untiringly prayed into Heaven? What will you present to Christ when saints go rejoicing bringing in the sheaves? (Psalm 126:5-6)

Paul wrote the Philippians letter in a Roman prison. In the letter he says “I am being poured out as a drink offering” 2:17. Paul here alluded to the drink offering, which accompanied another sacrifice; an accompanying libation that made the sacrifice even more precious (Numbers 15:4-5, 28:7). Paul was not sailing to heaven on a flowery bed of ease; his ministry was a great sacrifice.

He wrote to the Corinthians “it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena…we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless, we work with our own hands…cursed… persecuted… slandered…the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world” (I Cor. 4:9-13). Regardless of all this Paul did not give up, he just considered himself a drink offering, poured out to God.

 As he wrote Philippians he was looking to what might be his imminent martyrdom. Yet he told the Philippians, " I am glad and rejoice… you also be glad and rejoice with me ". Did he really expect them to take joy in something as depressing as his death? Not really but he asked them to see his death as something that would bring much glory to God; like a grain of wheat dying to bear much fruit (John 12:24).

Paul then turns to some seemingly mundane matters about sending Timothy and Epaphroditus to the Philippians church. Why did God take up the pages of the Bible with the travel schedules of these men? He uses it in a marvelous way to illustrate for us the truths that Paul has been presenting in this entire chapter. These men are worth imitating as we seek to serve our Lord.

Paul provides two reasons for sending Timothy to the Philippians.  First “I have no one like-minded who will sincerely care for your state; for all seek their own not the things which are of Christ Jesus” (2:20-21). This is hard to understand because you would think that out of all the faithful Christians in Rome. Paul wrote Romans 16 about five years prior to this, where he greets many faithful believers in Rome. Where are they when Paul needs somebody to send?

Second he states, “you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father” (2:22). The phrase “proven worth” means “approved by testing.” A product is tested by submitting it to severe conditions to see if it holds up. A reliable product will not give out just when you need it most. Timothy had endured enough testing that Paul knew he was reliable. He is available and ready to be sent at this point when nobody else is.

Paul then turns to another faithful servant. Epaphroditus was a member of the Philippians church. He was sent to Rome take some money to Paul who was in prison and he stayed there taking care of Paul. Those days’ prisoners “necessities” had to be supplied by friends or relatives. Paul gives Epaphroditus’ five titles: my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, your messenger and minister to my needs (2:25).

Paul is in prison; there are no cities to take for Christ and no glorious mission to the heathen. He is preaching to the soldiers who are guarding him and his visitors. He is also writing letters to churches. While he does this, Epaphroditus is a behind-the-scenes type of servant, taking care of Paul’s daily need.  Paul does not trivialize Epaphroditus service. He refers to him as a fellow worker in the great work of the gospel. This is an application of what Paul wrote in1 Corinthians 12.

Paul told the Galatians “therefore as we have opportunity, let us do good to all especially those who are of  the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10). That is the way to shine like stars in this dark world where self-centeredness and competition is the order of the day. This display of true love and genuine concern for others will attract many to the kingdom of God. Let us be on the look-out for such opportunities, God sends them our way day by day and we can easily miss them.

Sending money to Paul was a great thing and he appreciated it a lot (4:18-19), but there was something else that touched Paul. The physical presence of Epaphroditus meant so much to Paul. He acknowledges it by saying that Epaphroditus had completed what the Philippians could not do in their absence in service to Paul. Do we just send material help to needy people or do we physically stand by them which is equally important.

Apparently, after traveling to Rome, Epaphroditus fell ill. Paul says “he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow.”  When the Philippians heard about it, they were worried. Epaphroditus became distressed and he longed to go back to assure them he was well. And Paul is sending him back to them.

Paul tells his church “hold men like him in high regard; because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me” (2:26–30). Paul’s high commendation of Epaphroditus does not come simply because of what he did. It comes also because of his self-renouncing motivation. He was willing to take enormous risks, in order to come to the aid of a person in need.

Let’s serve even when it involves risk or leaving our comfort zone. Epaphroditus had left the comforts of home and taken a risky journey to Rome to help Paul. Timothy was willing to leave the side of his beloved father in the faith to go to the Philippians church. Paul was in prison facing possible execution and Timothy was his right hand man. He would have said, “I can’t spare Timothy at this time. But, instead, he was willing to send Timothy for the sake of the Philippians church.

Paul was not afraid to be human and to express his deep feelings for others. He says Epaphroditus death would have been “sorrow added to sorrow”. He would have been overwhelmed with grief at the loss. Epaphroditus was distressed over how the Philippians church felt about his sickness; he cared for them. The heart must be involved in the service we give. We should not only be connected mind to mind but also heart to heart.

Paul, Timothy and Epaphroditus worked together harmoniously. Even though Paul was clearly the leader, he did not lord it over the others. He commends Epaphroditus and instructs the Philippians church to hold men like him in high regard. We must understand that to serve in some unnoticed, unrecognized place in the body of Christ matters to Christ. We are all partners playing different roles for the cause of the gospel. No role is too trivial for God, in fact it is assigned by him (1 Cor. 12:18-24)