2 Timothy 4:9-22
9 Do your best to come to me quickly, 10 for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. 12 I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.
14 Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. 15 You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message.
16 At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17 But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
19 Greet Priscilla and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus. 21 Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers and sisters.
22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all. [1]
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What is striking to me in this passage is Paul’s instruction to Timothy to get Mark and bring him. Paul wants Mark with him because “he is helpful to me in my ministry.”
This is quite different from how Paul felt about Mark in Acts 15:36-41, when Barnabas and Paul had a serious falling out concerning Mark. During their first missionary journey, Mark had deserted Paul and Barnabas. Paul insisted that he did not want Mark coming with them on the next journey. This led to a split between Paul and Barnabas, since Barnabas was insistent that Mark be included.
So now many years later, Paul wants Mark with him. Why? Because he is helpful. Mark has grown, and no doubt Paul has changed as well.
Christianity is about relationships, and the mission of God at the heart of Christianity is the reconciling of relationships. Of course the center is reconciliation with God through the cross and empty tomb of Jesus Christ. But flowing from that is the reconciling of relationships with others. Somehow along the way, over the years, Paul and Mark had reconciled their relationship. This is not just about two guys getting along, but also about the gospel being manifest in their lives.
At the same time, though, that Paul is writing about wanting to see Mark and looking forward to Timothy’s arrival, he mentions a number of strained and broken relationships, as well as those that circumstance is preventing him from seeing.
All of this together leads me to pray for relationships. I pray in thanksgiving for those relationships that are a blessing to me. But I also pray for those in my life that are strained, that there would be reconciliation. May God bless all of these relationships.
What is the Word leading you to pray about today?
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[1] The New International Version. (2011). (2 Ti 4:9–22). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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