2 Timothy 1:13-18

2 Timothy 1:13-18  What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.  Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you — guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.  You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.  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. 

When you are down, when you need help, is there an Onesiphorus from Asia in your world?   Onesiphorus means help-bringer.  How beautiful are the feet of those who bring help.  Paul was an elderly man by this time.  His personal ministry in Asia had seemingly gone up in flames, for even his faithful followers, those he depended upon: Phygelus and Hermogenes, had abandoned him.  Paul, Christ's sacrificial servant to the people of Asia, who was called to endure everything and anything to preach the "good news" to the Gentiles, was now wondering about the effectiveness of his ministry.

Well, Timothy is still in Asia, in Ephesus, and we see Paul in this letter still teaching the Ephesians the "good news" through Timothy his spiritual son.  Paul's arrest probably brought his ministry's efficacy into question by many: if Paul was such a powerful man of God, God never would have allowed Paul to be imprisoned.  Isn't this pretty much the way we question or gauge ministries today?  When we see congregations of thousands on television, we assess that the men leading them must be men of God because surely God would not bless them with so many followers if they were not.  Money flows to these kinds of ministries.  If we see a minister with only a few in his church, we say, he must be doing something wrong, for a man of God would have more followers than just a handful of people.  Paul was being judged that way by the people he had committed his life to.  If Paul was such a great man of God, he would not be in prison.  Paul had put his life on the line for these people.  Yet, after his imprisonment, they deserted him, for they were ashamed of his chains.  Only Onesiphorus wanted to find Paul.  Only he wanted to give comfort to this faithful servant.  Only he recognized that Paul gave his life for the people of Asia. 

Jesus found himself in the exact same position on the day of his crucifixion.  Only a short time before, he heard the cries of Hosanna.  He heard the excitement in the people's voices as he entered Jerusalem, riding on a donkey, but on the day of his crucifixion, he heard only the derisive calls from the Jews and the rude comments of the Roman soldiers.  Jesus found himself alone.  As Paul, he could claim, all in Asia have deserted me, even my faithful followers.  None of them were at the foot of his cross.  They may have gazed upon him from afar, but none of them were there to comfort him in his desperate need.  Paul says, they have left me here alone to face my oppressors.  Only Onesiphorus refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.  How soon we abandon one ministry and go to another one that seems more exciting, more fulfilling.  What do you have to offer me, Paul?  What do you have to offer me little church?  What do you have to offer my flesh?  How beautiful are the feet of Onesiphorus, help-bringer.  How many little churches, how many ministers need an Onesiphorus in their lives today?  How many ministers need a traveler to Rome who will endure to the end with them?  Are you one of them?  Are you a missionary to the church or are you a consumer?  A missionary rolls up his sleeves and helps the work; a consumer tests the product and then decides whether to buy or not.  Be a missionary, an Onesiphorus, a fellow worker, not a consumer.  Who in your life needs you to come alongside with help and support today?