Colossians 4:2-18 Devotional (Part 8)
There are 21 epistles, or letters, in the New Testament. While they are all personal messages, often written by the Apostle Paul, to various early churches, they all have different emphases and focuses. Some of them encourage churches that are running the race well, and others rebuke harmful behaviors. While differing from one another in many ways, all of the epistles have a shared attribute that has always struck me: the farewell. In this passage from Colossians, we see Paul as he closes his letter to the church in Colossae. He has accomplished much in this letter such as elaborating on the sufficiency of Christ (1:21-23) and rejecting heresies in the church like angel worship (2:18). After all of this instruction he ends the letter in a way similar to many of his other notes: with a greeting to his loved ones. Paul’s heart is revealed in 4:8 where he announces the coming of a friend and states:
“I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts.”
In this short excerpt from his farewell, we see Paul exemplify both a desire to share his ministry and also a hope for his brothers and sisters in Christ to be cared for in a meaningful way. I have found this emphasis across many of the farewells in the Epistles. Paul demonstrates what it looks like to actually care about others. He does not view them simply as ears to hear his wisdom, he shares with them out of genuine hope that their lives would be transformed by the Gospel in a noticeable way (4:5-6). He cares for them why? God has made it abundantly clear to Paul that family is not merely those you are related to, it is those who you share an eternal inheritance with: Your brothers and sisters in Christ.
You may be asking yourself why a farewell to a totally different group of people thousands of years ago is applicable to me. The reason I think this closing section from Colossians is so important for us to take note of is because of the aforementioned posture that Paul has for other people seeking Christ. All of us wherever we are, likely know people who are active followers of Jesus or searching for him. We also are firsthand witnesses in our own lives that life can be really hard can’t it? Especially when we become totally insular and self-focused. We live in a culture where intentional greetings, farewells, and letters like this are an anomaly. God gave humans the church not just to meet on Sundays, but to do life together, to remember each others’ chains, and to encourage one another as we walk through life as a family.
In your life today what would this intentional care for another look like? I think first we must realize that in order to care for others we must first be founded upon the love of Christ. In 1 John 4:19, it is stated that “We love because he first loved us”. There is no way that we would be able to extend ourselves to care for the well-being of those around us if we don’t first have the replenishing love of God within us. Paul was able to exemplify familial love to his brothers and sisters in Christ because he himself was filled with the love of God. So where are you at? Have you found Jesus to be your Lord and Savior? His hand is extended. This kind of loving and intentional community is the kind that is made possible through the unconditional love of Christ. The good news today is that we can be a part of this if we put our faith and hope in Jesus today.
