Vol. 3, #12 May 30, 2004

At Least He Showed Up!

Written by

Christopher Mentzer

Disc Jockey Dave Pratt is a local celebrity here in the Valley of the Sun. But not too much of one that he wouldn’t spend time with his listeners. In fact, a fan wrote Dave and asked him to visit a buddy of his who was in the hospital. Dave went to visit him and spent a half hour with the guy in his room. A couple days later though he the first guy writes him again and complains that Dave only spent 30 minutes with his friend.

My response to all this is, “At least he showed up!” This man took time away from his family to go up to the hospital and hang out with this individual as a favor to a loyal listener. What more could you ask for? It didn’t matter how long he stayed.

In April’s gospel meeting, Tim Jennings introduced us to a Christian who, in most sense, is completely overlooked. Only twice is his name mentioned and it’s Paul who brings notoriety to this individual in his second letter to Timothy, “The Lord grant mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus: for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; 17. but, when he was in Rome, he sought me diligently, and found me 18. (the Lord grant unto him to find mercy of the Lord in that day); and in how many things he ministered at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.” (2 Tim. 1: 16-18) It doesn’t say how Onesiphorus refreshed Paul and it’s not really important. What is important is that he showed up! Look at verse 15, “This thou knowest, that all that are in Asia turned away from me; of whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.” Here’s two more individuals we know nothing about but that they were important people to Paul as he expected them to be by his side even in the worse of events. When word got out that Paul was imprisoned, it was as if everyone suddenly forgot who Paul actually was.

In verse 17, it says Onesiphorus searched diligently for Paul, which means there were several prisons in Rome and he didn’t give up after looking through the first couple. This passage speaks of him in past tense for he may have lost his life by simply visiting Paul. Under Roman law those looking for prisoners, especially ones accused of treason, is likely to be in league with them and just as much a troublemaker.

Phygelus and Hermogenes are like the seed sown on rocky ground (Parable of the Sower—Mk. 4: 16-17). They received the word with gladness until persecution came about and then they stumbled. Jesus said in Rev. 2: 10, “Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer: behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life.”

Onesiphorus made the effort to visit Paul regardless of the persecution he might receive and for it his household is to be remembered (2 Tim. 4: 19). Christians today have an obligation to refresh one another often and to do so even under persecution. The apostle Peter wrote, “but if `a man suffer' as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name.” (1 Peter 4: 16)