Scripture 2 Timothy 1:1-14
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,
To Timothy, my beloved child:
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason, I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands, for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.
Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, in the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace, and this grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard the deposit I have entrusted to him. Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.
Meditation
Imagine you were going through a difficult moment—something that made you feel afraid, maybe even unmoored. And imagine that you could talk to anyone you’d ever known in your life, living or dead. Whose counsel would seek? Who would you want to talk to?
We have before us today one of the New Testament letters traditionally attributed to the Apostle Paul. But this letter is different than most of Paul’s other letters. It’s written to one person, Timothy, not to a congregation. It’s written to someone in distress, someone who is feeling unmoored. There’s theology in it, to be sure. But what stands out are the words of gratitude for Timothy’s life and faith and gifts. What stands out here are words of encouragement, and stern words, too, urging Timothy to stay the course.
And who is this Timothy? A little backstory might help. Paul first meets Timothy around the year 48 CE, when he is on one of his missionary trips. Timothy was a respected member of a church Paul had planted years earlier. He was the son and grandson of two devout Jewish women, Eunice and Lois, who were followers of Jesus’ Way. He’d been immersed in the scriptures since he was a child. Seeing his gifts, Paul eventually asks Timothy to come along with him. Paul lays hands on Timothy, ordaining him to a preaching ministry, and they become constant companions, co-workers in Christ, preaching the gospel.
Now, years have passed. In 64 CE Paul had appointed Timothy pastor of the Christian community in Ephesus. That may have been one of the last actions taken by Paul on behalf of the church before he was arrested. Now, Paul is in prison. He knows he is facing his death. And something has happened to Timothy—something that has shaken his faith, something over which he has cried, something with which he has struggled.
So Paul, the one person I imagine Timothy would want to hear from, would be longing to talk to, writes to him. Famously a bachelor, Paul calls Timothy, “my beloved child.” He tells Timothy how grateful he is for him—he thanks God for him every day and night in his prayers. And he remembers Timothy’s tears, and prays that he, Paul, might see Timothy again, and be filled with joy.
Paul talks about Timothy’s faith—he reminds him how it was passed down to him by his grandmother, Lois, and by his mother, Eunice. And despite everything, Paul is sure Timothy still has faith, that it lives in him, even if it lies buried at the moment.
Paul urges Timothy to rekindle that faith by remembering how he felt on the day he was ordained. And then Paul says, “…for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” Paul goes on: “Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel…”
What has happened? Why would Paul say that, that thing about cowardice? That other thing about shame? What caused these fissures in Timothy’s previously strong faith?
I believe what happened to Timothy—what shook him to his core—was visiting Paul in prison. Paul was his mentor, a spiritual father to him. Paul saw his gifts, lifted them up, and gave him opportunities to share the gospel, to preach, to lead communities in faith.
Now, Paul is in prison. We don’t know how old Paul is, but he is certainly considerably older than Timothy, who was probably a boy when Jesus was teaching, preaching, and healing throughout Judea. Paul’s ministry has come to an end, and soon he will be executed by the Roman Empire for his fidelity to a gospel that threatens them.
Timothy has come face-to-face with what theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer called “the costly grace” of discipleship. Bonhoeffer wrote,
Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.
Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it [one] will gladly go and self all that he has… it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.
Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which [one] must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life.[i]
Bonhoeffer knew something about costly grace. He was executed by the Nazis in April of 1945, as their regime was collapsing and the war was drawing to a close in Europe. Neither Bonhoeffer nor Paul sugar-coats the cost of discipleship. Neither do they glorify suffering. They simply state the fact: your faith may cost you your life. Any sensible person would quake in the face of that truth.
But remember how Paul invites Timothy to rekindle that spark. He asks him to recall those people who were instrumental in helping him come to faith. He asks him to ponder that gift, which he refers to as a rich deposit, passed down from his grandmother and his mother. He holds up to Timothy those who laid the foundation for his life of sharing the gospel.
We are celebrating World Communion Sunday today, recalling the invisible web that connects us to followers of Jesus all over the world. That web is made up of faith communities, and those communities are made up of families and individuals. So I ask you: Who was instrumental in leading you to your faith? Who laid the foundation for your life of striving to live according to the good news of Jesus? I invite you to ponder that question for just a few moments. Close your eyes, if you like, and see their face. Hear their voice. Remember an encouraging word they said to you. Remember when they taught you to pray, or handed you a book that changed your life. Remember a time when you were shaken, and they helped to steady you.
Now, join me in a moment of deep gratitude for whoever that was… even, if it was you, yourself, because sometimes we’re the ones who go seeking and who are blessed to find. Join me in a moment of thanking God for every word and act of kindness, and gentle nudge and example of God’s love that led you to be here, right now. Let’s pray.
Gracious God,
You have called us—each and every one—and so, today, we are here.
Thank you for the ones who helped us along this path.
Thank you for their faith, for their kindness, for their example.
Thank you for their love, for their generosity, for their influence.
Thank you for the way they helped to feed and water the seed you planted,
which flowered, and bore fruit, and brought us to this moment.
Thank you, loving God, for your people who helped us to find our way.
As we gather around your table today,
let gratitude flow throughout our bodies, minds, and hearts.
Let us know these precious ones, these forbearers in the faith, are with us, even now.
We thank you, in the name of Jesus your son, who lays the table for us.
We thank you, for your Spirit, by whose power this meal knits us together as one,
with all your people throughout the world.
We thank you.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
[i] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship (New York: Touchstone Press, 1959), 45-49.