Genuine Concern

 

“Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him), and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.”

Colossians 4:10-15 ESV

 

I grew up in an area with a good-sized population. And, in such an area, we didn’t acknowledge everyone. We did so only with those we knew.

 

When I went to college, I became good friends with a guy from rural South Dakota. And I, along with my other friends, would tease him relentlessly. We did so because he would greet and wave to everyone that he passed.

 

The past ten years, I’ve lived in smaller communities, and I now do the same thing. As I drive down the road, I wave at everyone I see. And when I walk down the street, I greet each person who passes.

 

In smaller communities, you tend to know most of those who surround you. And, in the same way, you tend to have greater concern for those who surround you. This, then, leads you to acknowledge them.

 

This is what came to mind as I read the above passage. In these verses, that we largely tend to ignore, we see greetings being sent. We see them being sent between those who served alongside Paul and the church at Colossae.

 

And this was no mere acknowledgement. It was an expression of concern for the people of this congregation. It was an expression of love for these brothers and sisters in Christ.

 

We see this especially when it comes to Epaphras. He was one of them. In other words, he originated in the church at Colossae and had gone to serve alongside Paul. And he always struggled on their behalf in his prayers. He labored earnestly for them, as he prayed for them. He wrestled in prayer for them.

 

This indicates something more than a fleeting thought or a passing prayer. It indicates a strong interest in their well-being. It indicates a great longing for their blessing.

 

As a pastor, I try to interact with my church members as much as I can. And, while some of these interactions are planned, others are not. I may simply bump into them at the hardware store or at the school.

 

I also pray regularly for the members of my congregation. I do so corporately, in worship services, times devoted to prayer, and as we gather for Bible study. However, I also do so personally.

 

The sense I get is that this isn’t very common among believers. It’s not common for congregation members. We don’t regularly show concern for our fellow church members by interacting with them. We don’t take the time out of our day to visit, even briefly, with those we encounter. And it’s also relatively uncommon for us to pray for our fellow church members.

 

It’s even more rare that we do so with members of other congregations. It’s even more rare to do so with our fellow believers who live in another community. More often than not, we fail to even think of them.

 

May God give to each one of us such a love for the brethren that we will not only acknowledge them. May he give us such a love for them that we pray for them. And, more than that, may he give us such a love for them that we struggle, that we wrestle, for them.