Rev. Dr. Jim Clubine

Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18
Colossians 4:2-18
Luke 14:25-33

Text: Colossians 4:7-9

7 Tychicus will tell you all the news about me; he is a beloved brother, a faithful minister, and a fellow-servant* in the Lord. 8I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know how we are* and that he may encourage your hearts; 9he is coming with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you about everything here.

Introduction

Someone said... “families are like fudge, mostly sweet with a few nuts.”  Is it true, as some suggest, that you get to choose your friends as God’s reward for some family members?

Today, the average Facebook user has 130 friends, Daniel Akst writes for The Wilson Quarterly. “Aristotle, who saw friendship as essential to human flourishing, shrewdly observed that it comes in three distinct flavours: those based on usefulness (contacts), on pleasure (drinking buddies) and on a shared pursuit of virtue – the highest form of all. True friends, he contended, are simply drawn to the goodness in one another, goodness that today we might define in terms of common passions and sensibilities.”

As a young person I undervalued the importance of friendships; I am, today, even a little jealous of those who have annual get-togethers with a group of friends made during high school or university.  I am blessed with some wonderful friendships today; people whose interest in me and mine in them supports in meeting challenges, celebrating joys, and in helping each other reach for our individual best.  I find that there is an accountability that such friendship promotes because I would not want to disappoint them; even as I certain they would not abandon me.

Tychicus, Onesimus, Aristarchus, Mark, Jesus called Justus, Epahpras, Luke, Demas, Nympha and Archippus; all companions of the Apostle Paul in his work to declare the mystery of Christ.  In the concluding portion of Paul’s letter to the Colossians, typical of all his letters, people are named and we get a glimpse of the connectedness of the early church, of the importance of relationships with one another, of the significance of people’s friendship with one another in the gospel.  I invite you to reflect me on Paul’s companions drawing some inferences for living as Christ’s people in the world today.

1.  When Jesus chose the twelve disciples, the Apostleship of eleven surviving Jesus’ death and resurrection; Jesus’ companionship with these men was not merely so that he might have some friends.  Jesus binds himself to these disciples, a bond that is essential to the economy of the salvation he was bringing to the world.  We would not know Jesus except for the Apostles; there would be no Apostles except for Jesus.  These have become essentially linked and this same link gets extended to the church which is the company of those who, by faith, join in this same Apostolic company through companionship with Christ.

This truth is one Christians have characteristically agreed on: faith in Jesus Christ isn’t quickened and cannot thrive apart from the Church. The Church’s nurture and protection, instruction and edification will be needed until the day when faith gives way to sight and Christ’s people are beyond the reach of seduction and distraction. The Church is essential to God’s economy of salvation.

Even as the New Testament mentions 188 ways of speaking of the Church, the chief analogy is body. Christians are the body of Christ. The clear implication is that we can have a relationship with Jesus Christ only as we are related to His body. No one can glory in the head of the body while disdaining the body itself. No one can cherish Jesus Christ while disdaining His people, love Him while despising His “hands and feet” in the world. The only suitable answer to the question “Are you a Christian?” is this: “Yes, I embrace Jesus Christ in faith and I embrace His people in love.”

Author Ann Rice’s conversion to Christianity was clear from here writing; she went from authoring novels like the Vampire Chronicles series to a series chronicling the life of Jesus.  On July 29th Rice wrote on her Facebook page: “Today I quit being a Christian. I'm out. I remain committed to Christ as always but not to being ‘Christian’ or to being part of Christianity.”  While I am sympathetic to her frustration with the church’s imperfections belonging to Christ is to belong to the people that are his; what God has joined together we are not to separate.

Our companionship with each other in Christ is about much more than simply having friends; in Jesus Christ it is essential to what he is up to in bringing salvation to the world.  When Paul names these various companions in the gospel it is an unlikely crew.  There are high-born householders and a runaway slave, Jews and Greeks, Roman citizens and those of the indentured underclass, a doctor and a peasant, a man who deserted Paul on the first missionary journey, and a wealthy female land owner; many of the barriers of that ancient world that divided people rendered invisible by their common friendship in Christ.

I am sure they experienced frustrations common to human organization as well; whatever they were it appears something was more important among them.  When I stand at the foot of the cross and consider what Christ has forgiven in me I am renewed to give myself to gospel friendships.

2. We read in Luke’s gospel today Jesus’ shocking word to the large crowds following him: “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.”  Clearly this is hyperbole; the Apostles’ understood it this way in that they admonish husbands to love their wives and the pattern of that love is the self-giving, self-forgetful love of Christ. Jesus is stressing that no relationship is to be elevated to the place of relationship with Him and the cost of the discipleship is that some may not want to be companions with you in it.  Never sacrifice relationship with Christ in order to secure a friendship.

Jesus’ teaching also implies that the human friendship enjoined in the gospel is never merely for friendship sake; as if all you need are additional human companions.  Further, love for Christ elevates all other loves including friendships.

3. Let us turn our attention to consider some of the features of this companionship we share in Christ.  Do you ever wonder at Jesus that he even bothers with humans as his “hands and feet” in the world and isn’t inclined to just do it himself? It is, for example, a great privilege to be a preacher of the gospel; even with my best efforts to “rightly divide the truth” at times I know I am more of a butcher.  One ministry colleague said to me that one of the advantages of reading the four lectionary scripture readings in worship was that generally the preacher only preached on one text so that at least the other three got to speak for themselves.

The other day our grandson wanted to help Valerie make the grilled cheese sandwiches she was making for lunch; so she got a small step ladder for him to stand on and he “helped”.  You would know that this did not promote efficiency in sandwich making; at the same time what was invested in that moment was timeless.  Jesus is clearly a better preacher; still his investment in me through preaching to know the gospel is eternal.  The teacher of the Sunday school class or the Bible study leader is deepened in their own faith in the very task.

What is plain for Paul has been the case for every great Christian leader of history—their achievements were never theirs alone as individuals.  There is ever this cast of people around them doing their part as these people Paul names indicate.  Paul may have been the front man on these missionary journeys but the work thrived through the team gathered around him.  The preacher may get the press; but this work of declaring the mystery of Christ is ever a collaborative effort.

4. This pattern that Christ sets for us of investing in us to fulfil his work in the world ought to be our pattern towards one another.  Perhaps you know the saying that “if you want something done right do it yourself”; it seems to me that Christ’s example tempers this a little.  It is true that God can do only what God does and there are thing only we can do—so there is a truth to doing that things that are yours yourself.  But the makes clear that we are not alone in this; taking time to invest in others is part of the things that only we can do.  The ministry of helping others be involved in ministry is a great and necessary work.

It seems to me that we Christians are also to take this pattern of looking to the success of others into the marketplace where we work; it blesses and strengthens work environments and helps people to offer their best.  Such action, at its core, bears witness to Christ who loves every one of our work colleagues and wants good for them.

Sometimes the principle of helping others succeed is practised as merely a technique to increase productivity and personal gain; it is no wonder people are cynical of such company initiatives.  It is the self-forgetful love of Christ that makes it genuine.

As the Apostle Paul names all these companions he includes a word of commendation either about their achievements or character.  It is good to bless others—the gospel calls us to seek the welfare of others and this begins with Christians in our relationships in the church and spills over to the world around us. 

5. I have a close Christian friend who some might call a master at networking; his ability to know people and remember names is simply off the charts; whatever that software programme he has got running in his mind I would love.  When I am with him at a public venue invariably he greets by name someone he knows; and it isn’t just their name, he will ask them about a spouse or child and some matter that had been part of their last conversation.  And the other thing about him is that it is genuine; he doesn’t treat you like a prospect for some other purpose; he is genuinely interested in your welfare.

The word “networking” doesn’t seem appropriate; it somehow cheapens as a commodity this genuine interest in the welfare of others.  I see this same genuine interest for the welfare of others exemplified in the way the Apostle Paul speaks of those who are his companions.  I believe that it is enjoined by the gospel and ought to be the character of the church of Christ.  It is essential for what it means to love one another.

Paul says of both Tychicus and Onesimus that they are “faithful” and “beloved”—“you will love these guys”, Paul implies.  Tychicus, mentioned in other of Paul’s letters, seems to have been Paul’s special envoy to the churches.  Onesimus is a runaway slave who belongs to Philemon; the church at Colossae meets in Philemon’s home.  Paul sends Onesimus back to Philemon to keep Onesimus alive because in the Roman empire runaway slaves were executed, if discovered.  If you read Paul’s letter to Philemon you will see that he asks him to free Onesimus. 

Note Paul commissions both of these men, one a Roman citizen and one a slave, with a trusted task: “they will tell you about everything here”.  Just as Paul will find out through his envoys how the people of the church at Colossae and Laodicea are doing so these churches will know how Paul and his team are doing.  Notice the implied interest in the welfare of the other.

Paul sends greetings from the team—Aristachus, Mark, Jesus called Justus (Jews), Epaphras (the preacher who founded their churches), Luke, and Demas (Greeks).  Mark, by the way, is the gospel writer who also accompanied Peter in some of his work.  He also bailed on Paul and Baranabas (his cousin) part way through Paul’s first missionary journey, but is now reconciled with Paul.  These greeting are much more than “the boys say hi”.

The basic meaning of this word greet is “embrace”.  There are sixty occurrences of this word in the New Testament, forty-seven of them are in this letter form; this notion of greeting is embedded in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The simple graces of genuine interest in each other’s welfare implied in sending personal greetings are an expression of the love of Christ enjoined by the gospel.  It is to be lived in the church and it spills over into the world. 

This genuine interest of Christians in the welfare of people is Jesus wooing people to himself.  I read an article from a former pastor about ministry mistakes and what he would do differently; “Love the community where I lived more... I would prayerfully seek how I could serve the community rather than see it as a population pool of prospects for my church.

In addition to a general greeting Paul greets two people in the church in particular.  The first is Nympha—the congregation at the nearby town of Laodicea meets in her home as the church at Colossae meets in Philemon’s.  This implies that she is a wealthy householder.  Then as now, most congregations have those financial champions who shoulder in unseen giving monetary requirements.  These people need greeting as well—we expect them to take interest in everyone else’s welfare we often overlook theirs.

And finally Archippus—a congregational pastor and likely Philemon’s son; Paul encourages him “to complete the task that you have received in the Lord”.  We don’t know what the task was but part of our interest in one another it to help each other finish well—to complete our faith course.

Evangelist Max Locado relates the story of weekly climb during Young Life summer camp, when four hundred students make the fourteen-thousand-foot climb up Colorado's Mount Chrysolite.

On one of those trips  a student named Matthew decided to call it quits. I coaxed him, begged him, negotiated a plan with him: thirty steps of walking, sixty seconds of resting. Finally, we stood within a thousand feet of the peak. But the last stretch of the trail rose up as straight as a fireman's ladder.

We got serious. Two guys came up beside Matt, each taking an arm. I pushed from the rear. We all but dragged Matt past the timberline and to the awesome view at the top. That's when we heard the applause. Four hundred campers on the crest of Mount Chrysolite gave Matt a standing ovation. As I slumped down to rest, a thought stream-rolled my way: There it is, Max, a perfect picture of my plan. Do all you can to push each other to the top.

Amen.

Next week

Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28
Psalm 14
1 Timothy 2:1-7
Luke 15:1-10