Loneliness
Only Luke is with me … But the Lord stood by me (1 Timothy 4:11, 17, ESV).
I have been more and more impressed by the way the apostles had the responsibility to expound the whole counsel of God under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Their writings lead us into the presence of God and equip us to do His will and to live for Him. Our steps are guided, and our hearts are lifted, by the word of God. It is as relevant and as powerful today as it was when it was first written. What is also so instructive is God’s work of grace in the hearts and lives of the writers. Their humanity is not hidden from us. But we can sometimes lose sight of the sacrifices these servants of God made in fulfilling God’s will. We have a very poignant insight to this in the final chapter of Paul’s letter to his younger co-worker, Timothy.
It is so encouraging to see the relationship with and the spiritual respect Paul had for Timothy. He recognised the need for the next generation of Christians. He ensured that he encouraged and supported them as they took on greater responsibility for the care of the people of God and the burden which that brought. This was so evident in the fatherly love Paul had for Timothy and the value he placed on his friendship and company. His words have added meaning because he had been forsaken by Demas (v. 10). At home, we have been reading about the kings of Judah. What is so distressing is how many of them began their service so well and ended it so badly. Paul felt the loss of Demas, just as Samuel mourned for Saul. Others of his friends had moved on to fulfil necessary service, like Crescens and Titus. Paul would miss them, but understood they had responsibility. Yet he felt his loneliness. Service can be a lonely experience. Shepherds need caring for just as much as the flock. He didn’t have the comfort of a wife, like Peter, nor did he have children. He had devoted himself entirely to the work of God, and as an ageing saint, he was feeling his weakness and vulnerability.
But then he adds, “Only Luke is with me.” Proverbs teaches us about friendship: “But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). Luke was someone who was always there. We need such friends – friends we can confide in and trust and whose fellowship we enjoy. Paul was a sociable man who valued old friends and who encouraged the next generation. Timothy and Mark had become friends and fellow workers. Paul couldn’t wait to see them. June and I always look forward to seeing friends new and old. It is especially joyful when friends turn up unexpectedly. And we have always appreciated friends whose homes you can visit without an invitation; the door is always open.
Paul then speaks of the greatest Friend, Jesus Christ, “But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me.” You can feel the apostle’s heart being lifted up. He was not alone. The Lord was with him and the Lord strengthened him. You have an immediate sense of what the presence of the Lord meant to the apostle. In these few verses Paul goes from feeling abandoned to abounding in worship at the wonder of His Saviour and Friend (v. 18): “And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!”
