A Bunch Of Losers! Series

fellow servant in the Lord. 8 I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. 9 He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.10 My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.)

Tychicus is one of these people in the New Testament we know almost nothing about, except, he was cool. Paul sent him with his letter to the Ephesians (Ephesians 6), with this letter, and on another occasion to Ephesus to relieve Timothy so Timothy could be with Paul (2 Timothy 4). He had earned Paul’s trust. He was sent as a messenger and encourager. What better purpose could you be sent for? Aristarchus is another we know little about, except he was there, faithfully serving with Paul. But there are two in this final greeting section with very different stories.

Redemption

Have you ever messed up badly, I mean, really messed up? How did that make you feel? How did you handle it? Onesimus was a slave. But he ran away. The penalty for running away from your master in the Roman empire was death. Yet he ran. But he managed to run into Paul. Paul sent him back to his master with a letter. You can read it in your Bible-it’s the little book of Philemon. Paul begged Philemon to treat Onesimus as a brother and set him free.

“I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me. I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. 13 I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. 14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary. Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.

So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back . . .”

If Paul wrote this letter to you how would you respond? Setting aside what this says about slavery in general, think about Onesimus and his life’s complete transformation after working with Paul. Onesimus was a slave. As a result of his service to Jesus, he became a minister of the Good News.

Mark was a failure, at least in his relationship with Paul. He left Paul and Barnabas when they were in the midst of a difficult journey (Acts 13). We’re not told why he left them, but later, when Barnabas wants Mark to accompany the team, there is such a heated dispute between Barnabas and Paul that the two great men part ways. Barnabas goes one way-Paul another. To Paul, Mark was such a deficit to the ministry team, he was willing to part with his dear friend of many years rather than work with Mark. Aparently, between Acts 15 and Paul’s letter to the Colossians from prison, Mark had won back his good standing, good enough that Paul recommends the church at Colossea welcome him. It seems, failure is not the end.

Looking back on his early failures-being fired from one company, and betrayed by a business partner in another, Walt Disney said “All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.” Proverb 24:16 says “though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes”.

Maybe this is part of the message of the resurrection as well. Jesus died on a cross, but that was not the end of the story. Maybe you feel you’ve reached the end of your story, but God always seems to turn endings into better beginnings. Good Friday was not the end of the story. As the old preacher said, “it may be Friday, but Sunday’s comin’!”