Word of Encouragement (8/12/2021)
The prayer we are reflecting on is, “I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well” (2 Tim. 1:3-5). In this thanksgiving prayer, Paul gives thanks for Timothy on two counts: Timothy’s faith, which he inherited from his mother and grandmother, and Timothy’s love for Paul. We talked about Timothy’s sincere faith already. So, today, we want to consider Timothy’s love for Paul.
Paul may not use the word, “love,” in this passage but it is implied: “As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy.” As John Gill suggests, Timothy’s tears mentioned here must be the tears Timothy shed when they parted from each other. That is why Timothy’s tears are related to Paul’s longing to see him again. Yungshin sent me a picture of her and her niece, Maria, hugging each other at the airport, both of their eyes red and puffy with tears, as Maria was leaving with her family to go back to Brazil. It was both sad and beautiful—sad because they had to say goodbye but beautiful because of the evident love between the two of them. Something like that will happen in our family, too, as we will be dropping off Audrey at her university in less than a week!
Timothy’s tears must have moved Paul deeply. Such tears don’t well up if the heart is empty of love. So, Paul fondly remembers Timothy and his parting tears. How poignant it is to know that you are deeply loved, especially when you find yourself at the threshold of life and death like Paul! By the time Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, he sensed that his death might be imminent. So, he says at the end of this letter, “I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come” (2 Tim. 4:6). Maybe Timothy’s tears were drawn from another well, too—the possibility of not ever seeing Paul again should his appeal to Caesar fail and he was executed before they could see each other again. Sensing that his time on earth was drawing near, what did Paul desire, possibly more than anything? Probably, to see one more time Timothy, his beloved son in the faith and his faithful coworker. So, he pleaded with Timothy, “Do your best to come before winter” (4:21).
One of the greatest blessings in life is the joy of having loving, meaningful relationships with others. Do you have any Timothy in your life, for whom you should give thanks? Maybe you are fortunate to have more than one Timothy in your life. But I’m sure they are not perfect. None of us are! Even Timothy was not perfect, as loyal and faithful as he was. Paul repeatedly exhorted him not to be timid. If we wait for others to be perfect, we will never be able to give thanks for them. Nor will anyone give thanks for us! But, if there is anyone in your life, who loves you sincerely (though not perfectly), why don’t you take some time to remember them and their kindness toward you and give thanks to God for them? In doing so, let’s not forget to thank our Lord for all His goodness to us. Even the loving relationships we have are a blessing from Him! He deserves our highest praise and most heartfelt gratitude.