(Note: this edited message is intentionally somewhat brief, in order to provide time for honoring mothers on Mother’s Day such as flowers, other awards, and so forth.)
Introduction: Timothy was one of Paul’s co-workers. He traveled with Paul to many places, assisting in Paul’s ministry, and even received two letters from Paul (1 and 2 Timothy). Timothy’s mother and grandmother are named, specifically, in the Bible, where only a few women had that privilege. With Mother’s Day approaching, this message attempts to say what Timothy might have told his mother if he had the chance.
Thanks, Mom, for staying true to the faith!
The main text comes from 2 Timothy 2, verses 1 through 5.
I [2 Timothy 1:1-5, KJV] 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, [my] dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, [and] peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 I thank God, whom I serve from [my] forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; 4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; 5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
Timothy, his mother and grandmother all lived in Lystra (Acts 16:1) and apparently it was there where they had come to believe in Jesus. Eunice, Timothy’s mother, was a Jewish woman but Timothy’s father was a Greek, who apparently was not a believer (Acts 16:1). Whether Timothy’s father was a Greek-speaking or “Hellenistic” Jew, or a Gentile, is not certain. Scripture does not give any details about Timothy’s family relationships with either parent, except to mention the faith of his mother Eunice or that of his grandmother Lois as well.
And, the faith of these two ladies is something to consider. For one thing, they were living, and apparently had been living, many miles away from Israel in what is now central Turkey. They seem to have followed the Jewish faith even in a foreign country, which would have been difficult enough even if Eunice had a believing husband.
Trying to keep the faith in a strange land, regardless how long you’ve lived there, is never easy.
But Eunice did so, as did Lois, and that surely set an example for Timothy. We’re not told when he came to faith in Jesus, or when and how he matured into being a disciple, but it’s pretty sure to say if his mother hadn’t kept the faith, Timothy may never have come to faith. So he could easily say, “Thanks, Mom, for keeping the faith!”
Besides saying thanks to Eunice for keeping the faith, Timothy might have something else to say to his mother.
II Thanks, Mom, for raising me right!
We’ve seen that Timothy was basically raised by his mother—there is no record of his father, not even his name—and it would have been so easy for him to rebel against his mother. There is no indication he did so, but again, considering an uneasy family situation, and being part of a minority (nobody really knows for sure how many Jews lived outside Israel’s territory), and even considering the temptations all young boys and men face, yes, he could have been a problem for his mother and grandmother.
But if he was, we’re not told anything about it. Certainly, he was a sinner, as is true for every human ever born on this earth! Even so, Timothy was able to learn from his mother, who seems to have taken pains to raise her boy in ”the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4)”. I’ve sometimes wondered if Eunice ever dedicated Timothy to the Lord, as required by the Law of Moses (Exodus 13:2), or “loaned” him to the Lord, even as Hannah did for Samuel (1 Sam. 1:28). Maybe Eunice had Hannah and her sacrifice in mind when Paul came to town?
III Thanks, Mom, for letting me go!
By the time Paul came to Timothy’s home town, Timothy was already a disciple. People in Lystra and Iconium were reporting good things about him (Acts 16:2). He may have been wondering what we could do with his life, and where he would do this. There is no mention of any other brothers or sisters in Timothy’s family, so he may have been an only child so he may have been struggling with the need to provide for his mother and grandmother, and how he could best serve the Lord. This is something, by the way, that many struggle with, even today.
Eunice could have played the “guilt card” on Timothy and used any number of tricks to get him to stay with her. If she had no other means of support, certainly she would have had a point, and Timothy might have strongly felt his obligation to help his mother. Nobody would have faulted him for being concerned about his mother.
Still, Eunice made a sacrifice just as sincere as Hannah’s, generations before, when she gave her son to the Lord’s work. She allowed Timothy to accompany Paul, who apparently must have been impressed, too, with Timothy because Paul asked him to serve the Lord together with him. The New Testament has many examples of where Timothy served with Paul, plus a couple of other situations. Paul had instructed Timothy to stay in Berea with Silas (Acts 17: 14), when Paul went on to Athens; and Ephesus (1 Tim 1:3) when Paul was in another location. Later, Timothy was put in prison for his faith (Hebrews 13:23) but was released.
Could Eunice have foreseen any of this? Probably not, but she’ll join in the rewards for Timothy’s faithful service because he would have done none of this, if she hadn’t let him go along with Paul on the journeys.
So he could say, “Thanks, Mom, for letting me go”.
Conclusion:
Eunice had a very difficult situation, living in a land many miles away from Israel and still trying to follow the faith of Israel. Even worse, her husband (Timothy’s father, at least) was apparently not a believer. But she did keep the faith and Timothy could easily tell her “thanks, Mom, for keeping the faith”.
She could have allowed him to go his own way, but somehow she was able to give Timothy an example of a believer in Jesus. One day he too became a believer and later was known as a disciple. Here, Timothy could say, “thanks, Mom, for raising me right”. Any woman, especially a mother, who wants to see her children come to faith in Jesus is worthy of that compliment, too!
And finally Eunice gave away her son, when she could have asked him to stay and serve the Lord in their hometown. Yet, she gave him the permission, if not blessing, to go along with Paul on the journeys throughout much of the known world at the time. She may not have known what Timothy’s future might be, but she would surely rejoice in how Timothy served the Lord in many places. Here, too, Timothy might say, “thanks, Mom, for letting me go.”
Those of us who have, or had, believing mothers can rejoice that they found salvation in Jesus, and that they passed that along to us (that goes for dads, too, by the way). Praise the Lord for believing mothers, and may there be a multitude of Christian women who, like Eunice, would raise their children for Jesus and give each one the chance to serve Him, just like Timothy.
Scripture quotations taken from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV)
