Refreshing Company

 

Once there were two men in the same room  of a great hospital, both seriously ill. The room was quite small, just enough for two beds. There was a door opening on the hall and one window looking out on the world. One of the men, as part of his treatment was allowed to sit up in bed for an hour in the afternoon and his bed was near the window. But the other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

Both of them had to be kept quiet and still which was why they were in the small room by themselves. They were grateful for peace and privacy. Of course one of the disadvantages of their condition was that they were not allowed to do much: no reading, no radio, certainly no television- they just has to keep quiet and still, just the two of them.

They used to talk for hours and hours about their wives, their children, their homes , their former jobs, their hobbies, their childhood etc. Every afternoon when the man in the bed next to the window was propped up for his hour, he would pass the time by describing what he could see outside. And the other man began to live for that hour. The window apparently overlooked a park with a large lake where there were ducks and swans.

Children were throwing them bread and sailing model boats. Young lovers walked hand in hand beneath the trees. And there were flowers and stretches of grass, people taking their ease in the sunshine and right at the back, behind the fringe of trees, was a fine view of the city skyline. The man on his back would listen to all this, enjoying every minute; how a child nearly fell into the lake, how beautiful the girls were in their summer dresses and a boy playing with his puppy.

It got to the place that he could almost see what was happening outside. Then one fine afternoon a thought struck him: why should the man next to the window have all the pleasure of seeing what was going on? Why shouldn’t he get the chance? He felt ashamed and tried not to think like that but the more he tried, the worse he wanted to change. He’d do anything! In a few days he had turned sour.

He should be by the window. He brooded and couldn’t sleep and grew even more seriously ill-which none of the doctors understood.  One night as he stared into the ceiling the man next to the window suddenly woke up coughing and choking, the fluids congesting in his lungs. His hand groped for the button that would bring the night nurse running, but he couldn’t reach it. The other man watched without moving.

The coughing racked the darkness on and on choked off. The sound of breathing stopped. In the morning, the day nurse came in and found the man dead. They took away his body. As soon as it seemed decent, the man asked if he could be moved to the bed next to the window. And they moved him and left him alone. He propped himself up, eager to enjoy what the other man had enjoyed at last. He looked out the window, it faced a blank wall (Charles Swidoll).

The great apostle Paul, at the end of his days and a fantastic missionary career, was almost all alone. He was not praised by the world, or even regarded much among other Christians.  People were deserting him because associating with him could lead to imprisonment or execution. Many of those whom he had loved and taught were abandoning him like sailors jumping off a sinking ship.

Paul was in prison and he reflected on the faces of those people he held dear. As you read his writing in the last letter you can see almost a feeling of abandonment. Paul was really feeling a sense of emptiness, death was not far and he was alone. But then he remembered Onesiphorus. Just thinking of Onesiphorus refreshed Paul’s heart.

As Paul wrote his last epistle before he was executed, he had something to write about this great man. The letter was written to Timothy, who was in Ephesus, the capital of the province of Asia. Paul wrote “you know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes” (1 Tim.1:15).

We do not know who these two men were. They may have been men whom Paul would have thought the least likely to turn away from him. It may be that they were in a position to help him but played it safe to save themselves. Probably they owed their salvation to Paul, humanly speaking. May be he had preached to them and was praying for them.

Paul contrasted their betrayal with the faithfulness of Onesiphorus. He wrote “may the Lord show 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 searched hard for me until he found me. May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! You know very well in how many ways he helped me in Ephesus (2 Tim. 1:16-18).

We do not know much about Onesiphorus, other than that he lived near Timothy; at the end of the letter Paul asked Timothy to greet Onesiphorus’ household (2 Tim. 4:19). These are the only reference to this man in the Bible. His fleeting appearance on the stage indicates to us that his work was mostly done behind the scene, but nevertheless God found it important enough to appear in the Bible.

Paul described the things that made Onesiphorus special to him. Onesiphorus showed himself to be a true friend. When he heard of the arrest of Paul, he searched hard for him until he found him. There were many prisons in Rome, so it was probably difficult to find Paul, but he did. When everyone in Asia deserted Paul, Onesiphorus faithfully reached out to him even risking his life to minister to him.  

Onesiphorus, provided the much-needed refreshment to Paul during his time in the vast desert of loneliness. The original word translated “refresh” has the idea of a breath of fresh air. The word literally means to revive by fresh air. It was as if the air conditioner was turned on in the hot dark cell whenever Onesiphorus came in. His visits were like a "cool breeze" reviving Paul's spirit and soul.

His presence was a refreshment to Paul. He just showed up! We don’t know a single word that he said, but his presence spoke volumes. Just going to be with Paul in his time of need said, “I care about you and I’m here to stand with you”. His company was refreshing, Paul was filled with renewed hope and encouragement in the Lord.

Earlier Paul had asked the Roman believers to pray for him “so that I may come to you in joy… and find refreshing rest in your company (Rom. 15:32). Sometimes when someone is suffering, we hesitate to visit because we don’t know what to say. Even sitting silently with them is a great ministry. Second, he refreshed Paul by his cheerfulness.

Onesiphorus did not come under a giant gloom cloud, complaining about how bad it’s out there. Nero is killing all the Christians and everyone is defecting from faith. The two men talked about those who were defecting (1:15). But, the main thrust of their conversation was on God’s faithfulness and how the gospel was changing lives.  Onesiphorus overall demeanor reflected the joy and hope found in Christ.

Paul says, “he often refreshed me.” The word “often” means again and again. Onesiphorus did not stealthily sneak in to see Paul and leave never to see him again, but he seems to have come back time after time. He came back often, bringing good news of the progress of the gospel across the Roman Empire. Each time he came, Paul was refreshed in body and spirit.

Onesiphorus could have thought, “Paul is strong. Who am I to try to minister to someone like him?”But the reality is that everyone needs the ministry of refreshment at times. Our world needs Christians who are actively involved in the ministry of refreshment. We all need to look for those in need of refreshment and minister to them. it was not convenient for Onesiphorus to minister to Paul. It seldom is convenient to serve.

Paul’s prayer for Oneshiphorus family is in present tense and his prayer for Oneshiphorus is in future tense. He said “may the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me … May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! (2 Tim. 1:15-18). In the conclusion of the letter Paul says “Greet…the household of Onesiphorus”2 Tim. 4:19).

It seems that Onesiphorus was currently not with them. It is possible that Onesiphorus was no longer alive. If so there is something touching in Paul’s loving memory of someone who, in his trouble, did not forsake him but rather endangered his life to serve him. And now his faithful friend would never be able again to show his love to him, for God had called him home.

Paul desired that the Lord will reward Onesiphorus for his sacrificial service. If you get involved in the ministry of refreshment, you need to remember that rewards will be handed out in eternity. You may or may not see rewards in this life. The world may think you are foolish to sacrifice yourself for others. But the Lord does not forget. He will be merciful to you “on that day”.

In one sentence, the Bible writes of Phygelus and Hermogenes: they turned away from Paul in his time of need. In another sentence, the Bible writes of Onesiphorus: he often refreshed Paul and was not ashamed of his chains. How would the Bible write your life story in one sentence? Do you seek out those in need to minister refreshment. If so, the Lord will reward you in that day.

Everybody needs the encouragement of a friend. Even the courageous and deeply spiritual apostle Paul drew on the support of friends as he languished in a dungeon awaiting execution. Many people are looking for a little encouragement from a Christian friend. Onesiphorus was a special friend because he showed special kindness. Let's follow his example.