Do You Remember Me?

Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain. (1 Thessalonians 3:1-5 ESV). It has been nearly twelve years since I was in this area of North Central Texas. I have heard a couple of phrases many times in the last six weeks. First, there have been those who have recognized either Mary or I and said, “You haven’t changed at all.” I am very appreciative of the kind sentiment; however, they are either delusional or just being kind. I prefer to believe the latter. The other is a question I get a lot as I am confronted by people who may have known me. It is, “Do you remember me?” Sometimes I do, and sometimes I don’t. Just like I have changed physically, they have too. I had one young man come to me recently and say, “Brother Don… it is so good to see you. Do you remember me?” And, before I could answer, he turned to his wife and said, “This is the preacher that baptized me when I was twelve.” Well, I did confess that I didn’t remember him by sight, but once he told me the story and his name, I could remember the details of our shared past. That’s the background of our reading today. Twice in this passage Paul mentions not being able to bear the anxiety of his concern for the young church of Thessalonica. He yearned to know how they were doing, and whether they were struggling in their faith. Though Paul had moved on geographically in his missionary journeys, his mind and heart were still with the Thessalonians. He understood that growing the church wasn’t just about converting people and forgetting them. He knew from painful personal experience that becoming a Christian in that day and age would eventually bring suffering, the kind of suffering that the Evil One could use to jeopardize the faith of new believers. Any gardener knows that growing something requires a lot more than just putting seeds in the ground. Nurturing plants to their full fruit-bearing potential requires care and vigilance. The gardener knows that the seeds contain the power to grow into what they were destined for, but it would be naive to assume the seeds won’t need any care or protection along the way. The gospel has its own power in the lives of believers, but we all need to be nurtured and carried forward by the tender care and concern of those who are lovingly invested in us as we grow into mature disciples of Jesus who bear fruit. This is one of the great blessings of developing relationships with others. Invest in their lives!