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11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. 12 I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments. ~ 2 Timothy 4:11-13
We jump back into Pauls' conclusion of his last letter. In v.11 we read, "Only Luke is with me."
Luke is only mentioned three times in the New Testament, Colossians 4:14, Philemon 24 and here in today's text. Though he is only mentioned in just three passages, Luke is a dominant character in the New Testament. He wrote the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. Fifty-two chapters of the New Testament were penned by Luke.
God seems to use the obscure for his greatest work. Throughout the Bible God often selects the weak, outcast, over-looked, and powerless to accomplish his purposes. Have you ever considered the fact that David was the runt of the litter? David's father, Jesse, thought so little of David he wasn’t invited to the initial meeting with Samuel to determine who would stand up to Goliath. David wasn’t just obscure to his nation he was obscure to his own family.
This obscure young shepherd stepped up to slay the giant in the name of the Living God. David was born into a time of national discouragement and stress. He is known and celebrated as the greatest king of Israel. But, his family didn't recognize him as such. David was different from the other seven sons of Jesse. They didn't identify their brother as set apart for God's purposes. David didn't let his family's ignorance become an obstacle. He would eventually be described as a man after God's own heart.
Luke was obscure and yet he was a constant companion to Paul, faithfully at his side. He was with Paul on his second missionary journey in Troas and Philippi. He joined Paul at the end of his third missionary journey and went with him to Jerusalem. He was with Paul on the ship that crossed the sea and was wrecked, and he was with Paul in both of his imprisonments.
I find it amazing that God included a man who was a doctor to be a faithful companion to the Apostle Paul. The Lord knew Paul needed one. After all Paul was beaten with rods, stoned, whipped, and was shipwrecked. In the end, Luke was the only person by the side of the Apostle Paul. Luke was a picture of faithfulness.
Then in v.11, the Apostle Paul requests, "Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry." This is the same Mark who just seven years before this had left Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. In fact, the Apostle Paul wrote Mark off as useless for desertion. This is the same Mark who wrote the Gospel according to Mark. It is obvious that he, also known as John Mark, was now back into good graces with the Apostle Paul.
For me, one of the greatest joys in ministry is to see those who have suffered setbacks, restored. The restorative process often takes quite a bit of time, but if said person is the Lord's, God will see fit to restore him, if he is willing. This willingness of heart is crucial. Our failure can so discourage us that we do not want to be restored, thinking we do not deserve it. But, this is when we are best prepped to be used of God. I believe that the church discards too many people who have failed "too badly to be used of the Lord." This is far from the truth, for we all have failed miserably, even though we have not failed as egregiously as others. This merely reveals our poor theology because all sin is a violent rebellion against God.
There are a few stages involved in restoring someone back to usefulness. The first is to get rid of those things that aided our fall. Just like sanding down a piece of furniture, God has to strip away everything that isn’t what He intended for us. He has to remove every lie and false identity that we have protected. Sometimes this process is painful and slow, but God is a master craftsman. He knows how to gently and safely remove the stuff out of our souls, while leaving us structurally sound.
Before a builder can start adding to a house, he must make sure there is a strong foundation to build on. God is not a cheap handyman who cuts corners. When He decides to build something, His masterpiece will last the test of time. After the removal of the lies that we once believed, the Lord begins to replace them with truth, and by doing so, he begins to shape our identity in Him, so that we develop a strong foundation in His love. And, the truth is forged deeply in us through those arduous moments, however, since we are convinced of the Lord's goodness, we give ourselves to Him to do what He will. This is one of those blessings that comes out of even our failure.
Finally, as we learn to get ourselves out of God's way, He begins to fill us with Himself, and we begin experiencing His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness and self-control. Oh, the reassurance of His expression not only to us but through us. This is the most satisfying because His is the life that we have always been searching for. The sad part of it, is we have had to go through the most intense pain to see Him for who He is. I praise God for my many pains for they have led me to Him who is true and good and artistic. In Ephesians 2:10, He calls us His masterpieces. I like that and the pain is well worth it.
In, v.13 we read, "When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments."
Since the Apostle had left his cloak at the house of Carpus, he requests that Timothy bring it with him. A cloak was a heavy blanket-like garment made out of wool with a hole in it like a huge blanket. You just put it over your head and it kept off the rain and kept out the cold, and you could even use it like a bed. You just fold yourself in it, almost like a sleeping bag. And winter was coming and the dungeon was dark and cold, and he needed his cloak.
The scrolls were probably copies of certain Old Testament books, and the parchments were blanks on which the Apostle was planning to write upon. The point is he wasn’t finished reading, writing and studying. We must never come to the place where we cease to do these things, even when we know that we are about to die. Like Paul, the Lord desires to use our lives to be of an encouragement to others. The question is: Are we willing to be used of the Lord for the benefit of others? Only those who have experienced Him are in the position to do so. Seek Him today while He may be found, my friend.
