By Kevin Harris, pastor of the Illawarra Community Baptist Church in Wollongong, NSW
The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me. The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.
2 Timothy 1:16-18
God has many obscure followers. One day in heaven we will be privileged to meet them. Sure there are the notable ones we discover in our Bibles or in history. But there must be hundreds of thousands that few have heard of. They never built an ark or wrote a book or preached to crowds. But they faithfully served the Lord.
Our Lord introduces us to such a man in this passage.
Four lessons are highlighted about Onesiphorus.
- He often refreshed the Apostle Paul. He relieved Paul’s suffering and eased his burdens many times. The Lord bless these kinds of people. They are like a cool breeze on a suffocating day.
- He didn’t hold back because of Paul’s reproach. Shame has its place when we are guilty. But when we’ve done right, and are abused, there’s no need for shame. Praise God for people who ignore the opinions of the majority in order to stand with the mistreated righteous.
- He sought out Paul more earnestly than many would have, until he found him. He was not a quitter. He knew what the Lord wanted him to do, and didn’t let obstacles stop him. I thank the Lord for those I have known who stuck it out in the work of the Lord in spite of difficulties.
- He served the Apostle Paul in many ways over an extended period of time. With Paul we pray for God’s mercy on the servant-hearted among us.
Father, thank You for the testimony of this ancient Christian. His example inspires me. I ask You to make me a blessing to others. Let me work in the background, quietly content to diligently serve, relieving the burdens of others, no matter what the difficulty. I ask this in the Name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
This article was written by Kevin Harris Dapto pastor of Illawarra Community Baptist Church.