7 Tychicus
will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and
faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. 8 I
have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and
that he may encourage your hearts, 9 and with
him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you.
They will tell you of everything that has taken place here. Colossians 4:7-9
Paul starts off his final greetings with two people who
will personally be delivering his letter to the Colossians. These
two men will soon set off for the long 1,200+ mile (yes…1,2000+ MILES…with no
airplane) journey from Rome to Colossae. Do you think they have any idea of
the significance of what they were carrying? Did they take extra caution to
protect it from the elements during the journey? Could they have even imagined the
impact this little letter would have? And not just for the Colossians, but for
the millions who have read it since and will read it in the future. Amazing.
Tychicus is mentioned by Paul also in Acts, 2 Timothy, Titus
and Ephesians. He is likely from Ephesus and along with this letter to the
Colossians, he will also be delivering a letter from Paul to his hometown. Paul
calls him a beloved brother, a faithful
minister, and a fellow servant of the Lord. What powerful words to describe
a friend.
Joining
Tychicus on the journey is Onesimus.
From Paul we learn that he is a faithful and beloved brother. He is one of them…a
fellow Colossian. But there is another letter the two will be delivering. This
one a personal letter from Paul to his friend, Philemon. And in this letter we
learn a little more about Onesimus.
10 I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became
in my imprisonment. 11 (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed
useful to you and to me.) 12 I am sending him back to
you, sending my very heart. 13 I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might
serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, 14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that
your goodness might not be by compulsion but of
your own accord. 15 For this perhaps is
why he was parted from you
for a while, that you might have him back forever, 16 no longer as a
bondservant but more than a
bondservant, as a beloved
brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. 17 So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. 18 If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say
nothing of your owing me even your own self. Philemon 1:10-19
Onesimus
was a runaway slave, and Paul is sending him back. At some point Onesimus met Paul and his life changed.
The freedom he was searching for was found in Christ and he went from a slave
to a faithful and beloved brother, useful and loved by Paul. Paul is pleading
with his friend, Philemon, to accept him back…this time as a beloved brother. Another glimpse of freedom,
brotherhood/sisterhood, and unity in Christ.
So on their way they go. I wonder what else they packed
along with the precious letters from Paul. I wonder if they worried about the
long trip and the potential persecution along the way. After all, the reason
they are on this journey is because Paul is in prison. I wonder if they are
swapping stories, rehearsing what they will tell the believers in Colossae and
Ephesus. I wonder if Onesimus is terrified about seeing Philemon again. Maybe
with a hint of excitement about sharing their common faith and friendship with
Paul.
What
seemingly hard or small or insignificant tasks are you currently engaged in? Could they possibly have eternal significance that you
just can’t see yet?
What
friends do you have around you?
Are they beloved and faithful? Do they stick by you and join you on this
journey of life you are on? What kind of
friend are you? Would you stay close in hard times and deliver the letter
when asked?
God, help us see our tasks – big and small – through your
eyes. Help us find the kind of friends and be the kind of friend that sticks
with our friends and is willing to do what is needed.
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