RECEIVE THE SHALOM WITH OPEN ARMS
By Pastor Paulus Budiono
Johor, Sunday, July 7, 2019
Shalom,
By grace, the Apostle Paul worked harder than others in the ministry (1 Corinthians 15:10) but still he could not please everyone. The Corinthians were divided. There were groups who disapproved of him but preferred Apollos, some were pro-Peter and the like (1 Corinthians 3: 4). How about us? As a matter of fact, the church is now increasingly divided due to doctrinal issues or preferences for certain preachers.
What was the Apostle Paul’s message written in Colossians 4: 11-18? “Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also Barnabas’s cousin, Mark (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him); and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me. Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis. Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas. Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house. When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea. Say to Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it. I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you.”
It is very common to find greetings in writings (correspondence) and in conversations (oral). Five times the Apostle Paul mentioned the word "greetings": from Aristarchus, from Mark, from Justus, from Epaphras, from Luke and Demas, and from Paul. Now the problem is, was Paul’s greeting responded well by the Colossians and by all of us who read his writing? What is the response from the recipient of his greetings? Silence? Indifference? Casual? Or passionate?
Please note, the Apostle Paul always wrote greetings at the beginning and at the end of his letters. The problem was, he did not know exactly how big the response elicited from the congregation he served. And likewise the greetings from his seven fellow workers who had different backgrounds and characters (Pharisees, Jews, doctors and so on) would get mixed response. The greetings from the mind of Doctor Luke, was certainly different from Demas’. The greetings from Aristarchus, Paul’s fellow prisoner, was certainly different from the greetings of a free man. Hence, we must be able to understand a mixed response to a greeting.
We know the Bible consists of 39 books of the Old Testament and 27 books of the New Testament. The word “shalom” (greetings) is mentioned ± 250 times in the Old Testament and 100 times in the New
Testament; the word “shalom” is written around 350 times in total, maybe even more. To put it another way, every book of the Bible (66 books) contains five shaloms, more or less. That means we must have shaloms, which are based on the Word of God, every day in our lives. Not welcoming shalom today will result in our losing the peace of the Lord Jesus.
Have we lived our days with shalom? And, have we responded to other people’s shalom? Or, are our responses merely slick talks? Our shaloms should be different from this world’s shalom since ours come from the Lord Jesus. Don't just give your shaloms enthusiastically on the pulpit for the people you see and you know! How about those people you do not see, like the Apostle Paul who was in prison? What was the response from the Colossians who never met him? Let us be honest! We forget the verses written in the Bible very quickly and easily right after hearing and reading them.
Apparently, Paul needed comfort when he was imprisoned. So do God's servants. They also need to be comforted instead of continually giving comfort. They also need your prayers because they are not angels.
Paul received consolation not only from fellow prisoner (Aristarchus) but also from fellow free men, namely Doctor Luke, Mark and Justus who sent greetings to the Colossians. Paul took the bold step of writing their names because he knew them well.
To what extent do pastors, elders and deacons know their church members well?
Jesus taught His disciples to give their greetings when entering a house on their missionary journey. If the family in the house receives it, the greeting will descend upon it. But if not, the greeting goes back to the greeter (Mattew 10: 12-13). In other words, Christians have never lost shalom; the rejected shaloms will return and overwhelm us. And we are full of peace. Example: the apostles were rejected, beaten and even imprisoned but they still rejoiced because they had peace in their hearts. They were not discouraged but rather more zealous in giving shalom and preaching the gospel.
God's servants should consistently give shalom anywhere. Don’t just give your shalom and say that Jesus is awesome in the pulpit only. But as soon as you go down from the pulpit there is no longer shalom but great problems only.
What happened then with the Apostle Paul’s fellow ministers who sent greetings to the Colossians?
Mark
The Apostle Paul, who was imprisoned in Rome, delivered greetings from Mark to the Colossians who were about 1,600 km away. This greeting (shalom) crossed regions, cultures and continents. We receive heavenly shalom that comes far beyond the distance of Rome-Colossae, do we respond well or do we reject it?
It turned out that the greetings (shalom) from Mark and Demas did not stop in Colossae but spread to Philemon even during the Apostle Paul’s imprisonment (Philemon 1: 23-25). This meant that Mark and Demas saw Paul's suffering but continued to go with him. Here we see the perseverance of Mark and Demas (around 62-63 AD). Yet, as time went by and very near Paul’s martyrdom, he
told Timothy that he was alone. All had left him ─Demas and Mark were not by his side─ only Luke accompanied him (2 Timothy 4:10 -11,16).
Paul's faith was not shaken despite his imprisonment. And he maintained his correspondence with Timothy so he knew about Timothy’s doings and whereabouts.
Mark was still young while Paul was close to death. But passing on the ministry to Mark was something that Paul took very seriously though, on the former journey, Mark had dissapointed him. He chose to go with his uncle, Barnabas. Mark was trained as a successor but left Paul and other fellow workers when he was needed the most. Hence Paul rejected him when Barnabas wanted to bring Mark on their second missionary journey. Paul felt his shalom had been looked down by Mark. This gave rise to an alienation between Barnabas and Paul (Acts 15: 36-39).
Later on, Paul noticed the changes from the ungrateful young Mark under the guardianship of his uncle, Barnabas. Paul afterward became reconciled with Mark and stated that he was useful to him for service (2 Timothy 4:11). God is able to restore someone who has failed in service and left shalom.
Demas
Unlike Mark, who was willing to be restored and reinstated in the service of shalom, Demas forsook Paul who was imprisoned and facing death penalty. Demas, evidently, did not respect shalom but loved the world more (2 Timothy 4:10).
Please pay attention to this! Don’t ever believe that there is salvation outside Jesus! Peter, who repeatedly denied his Master, acknowledged that there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved other than in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12).
Strangely, Demas had turned against shalom for the love of present world. How could it happen? Didn’t the Holy Spirit and the Word of God give him enough instruction and warning? It all goes back to free will. Be vigilant while we live in this world! We have eyes, we have flesh and we have pride ─ they are prone to the temptations and the enticements of this world. If we are not careful and the Lord’s shalom is not in our hearts, we will fall into the world’s allure. When Demas began to distance himself from Paul, surely Paul had tried to hold him and reminded him. But it’s up to Demas to make the decision. And he insisted on choosing the world. Therefore, the Apostle Paul reminded the Romans not to be conformed to this world (Romans 12: 2). The Apostle John also warns the believers not to love the world nor the things in the world: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever (1 John 2: 15-17).
Far different from Jesus who was being taken to a very high mountain by Satan and being offered all the world empires with its splendor to be His if Jesus worshiped him (Matthew 4: 8-9). But Jesus refused firmly.
So, why did Demas love the world? Because he lacked of prayer and worship. Besides, he did not respect the apostolic teaching preached by the Apostle Paul. Proof? He did not experience a renewal of life. The truth is, the world is diametrically opposed to the Word of God ─ the Word came into the world but the world did not know Him and they even rejected Him (John 1: 10-11).
We respond to shalom by loving to worship Him, the Source of shalom. Jesus knows our weaknesses; therefore He prayed, “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” (John 17: 13-17)
We need (shalom) peace not only for ourselves but also for others as well. In order to obtain shalom from the Lord and be a blessing for others, we must hold fast to the teaching Word that is able to train us in righteousness. And we are to live in worship so we will not be easily enticed by the world and its temptation. But instead, let’s continue serving Him faithfully until Maranatha. Amen.