Friday 04 December 2020

Psalm 39

Background

It is clear that the young Christian community in Thessalonica is having a tough time. Like Paul himself, they are experiencing some kind of persecution. So, Paul’s tone in this letter is mostly about nurture, compassion and encouragement. There is much less in the way of admonishment and warning. Yes, he wants the Thessalonian Christians to live up to their calling, to be a shining example of honesty and integrity for the wider society among whom they live. But his main focus is on building them up and sustaining them during a time when they could be tempted to abandon their faith.

Timothy was Paul’s co-worker, who is mentioned in several other letters from Paul and features in several episodes in the Acts of the Apostles. He is such a close associate of Paul that he can act as a personal representative: to have a visit from Timothy was tantamount to having a visit from Paul himself. So Timothy’s visit to Thessalonica would seem as if Paul himself has been among them. Timothy represents Paul’s intense pastoral care for his fellow-Christians. Paul is doing much more than sending Timothy to check up on whether the Thessalonians are fulfilling their instructions. He’s expressing a deep-seated desire for the flourishing of the Church and for the strengthening of each of its members.

One of the frustrations of this year has been the lack of opportunity to visit and encourage each other. We’ve often had to find new ways of being present to each other and to share encouragement with each other.

To Ponder:

• What new ways have you used to be present to someone you care about? How have you experienced that?
• What helps you to feel encouraged and strengthened in your Christian life?