| “May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.” |
| —2 Timothy 1:16 |
In yesterday’s blog post, I wrote about the importance of fellowship between followers of Jesus. Such times are very important in the life of each believer. It is also important to note that some believers simply have the gift of making other people feel welcomed, cared for, and loved.
While we all may try to show Christ’s love for others, the Holy Spirit has certainly given some individuals a special spiritual gift—a “redeeming work”—that enables them to minister in a truly unique way to their fellow believers. Barnabas was such a person. Dr. Luke describes this travel partner of the Apostle Paul with these words, found in Acts 4:36-37:
Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.
Imagine being recognized by the Apostles as one who brings encouragement wherever he goes. That is quite an honor. Just imagine the way this servant of Christ helped many other believers by using his encouraging spirit to lift them up out of a pit of despair or discouragement. As a member of the Tribe of Levi, Barnabas had inherited a long tradition of priestly ministry. He was gifted in an amazing way by this special “redeeming work”s to represent the Great High Priest.
The Apostle Paul also speaks highly of another fellow “Christ’s-one,” Onesiphorus, when he shares these words found in 2 Timothy 1:16:
May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.
Paul is under a Roman guard—effectively imprisoned. Normally, no one wants to have anything to do with a prisoner. After all, the reputation of a prisoner might rub off on the one visiting him or her.
But apparently, Onesiphorus was someone who not only visited Paul while he was in chains, but Onesiphorus brought a spirit of refreshment to the Apostle. Onesiphorus didn’t care that Paul was a prisoner and was not ashamed of Paul’s circumstances. He only cared about Paul as someone in need. Onesiphorus responded to the need he saw in Paul by showing God’s love to this imprisoned servant of Christ.
As we begin another day, we need to ask ourselves to whom, among our fellow believers, can we have the privilege of ministering in Christ’s behalf? There may be many people in our circle of Christian friends who need the kind of refreshing that we can bring. For a whole variety of reasons, there may be someone of whom others might feel ashamed. But, we can stand out from the crowd. We can boldly go to that one and provide refreshment and support.
One of the ways we live out our faith is to become “Sons and Daughters of Encouragement.” Like Barnabas, we can become vessels of God’s mercy, grace, and love to our fellow believers. Like Onesiphorus, we can serve as a source of much needed refreshment to someone in the depths of need and despair. And, what a wonderful privilege that will be for us to serve Christ and His Kingdom in this way.
Based on a blog originally posted on Wednesday, September 13, 2017
