Elucidação (II Tm 4.9-13)

Come quickly to meet me
For Demas, loving this world, has forsaken me
Crescens has gone to Galatia
Titus to Dalmatia
Only Luke is with me
Bring Mark, he is useful to me
Bring a cloak and my books

See the risk that Timothy is running
Paul's solemn call
More like a shipwreck adrift
Insisting with a smile
For the sailor to abandon the safety of the ship
And plunge with him into the sea

Come quickly, Timothy
Abandon your frustrations
Your insecurities
There is no time to waste on trivial matters of approval
Nor expect them to approve you so much
Come quickly

And why the rush?
Paul will say that first
Timothy should hurry because Demas has forsaken him
Loving the present age
He abandoned him

This is the same Demas
Who was mentioned in the letter to the Colossians alongside Luke
Certainly a companion on Paul's journey
Then he was mentioned again in Philemon

As a fellow worker of Paul
And here he ends his journey
Receiving the worst of adjectives for a Christian
Deserter

Now see
If Demas abandoned the gospel
For loving that primitive age
What are our chances?
How can I be sure that I too

Will not be taken as one of those who
Cooperate in the noble cause of the gospel
But flee at the hour of death?
Like those who followed Jesus
But refused to eat his flesh and drink his blood
How did Timothy remain?
How could I remain?

Paul reminds Timothy
In this letter as well
That his success would not be guaranteed by the strength of his own arm
But in grace
In the undeserved favor of Christ

It was by this grace that Peter exclaimed
One of the golden affirmations of the Christian faith
How could I flee?
Where else would I go?
Only you have the words of eternal life

And Demas' abandonment
Is not the only reason why
Timothy needs to hurry
Paul will continue to say that
Crescens has gone to Galatia

Titus to Dalmatia
And in this case
It is not about abandoning faith
It is about unfolding
In as many as he could
To meet a huge demand

The fields were white
And few were the reapers
And the few who still remained faithful to the gospel there
Were stretching themselves
And that's why Paul says

Come quickly, Timothy
I know you're taking care of the church in Ephesus
But your presence here is much needed
I have already sent Tychicus to take your place
Come because the fields are white

Although I grew up in the church
I never saw any missionary
Giving testimony that their field of work
Is full of labor
It's always the opposite that is seen

Because that's how God's work is done
In absolute dependence
Praying to the Lord of the harvest
To send workers quickly
God's work will always be greater
Than I think I can bear

Look at Paul for example
The great Paul was flawed
And at times inflexible
At the beginning of his relationship with Mark
He had no patience to endure
The sensitivities of young Mark

But here
At the end of his journey
As one of his last wishes
He asks Timothy
Bring Mark with you, he is useful to me
God's work is done by flawed people like Paul
But who, following Paul's example
Allow themselves to be persuaded
By the action of the Holy Spirit over time

Has any Paul hurt you out there?
Forgive
Give time to time
Has any Mark annoyed you?
Wait
And see if he doesn't end up being
Useful to you in the Christian journey

All this Pauline loneliness becomes even more evident
In the next sentence
Bring me a cloak and don't forget my books
Paul is alone, feels cold, misses
And I need to ask you seriously

Do you want this gospel?
Maybe they lied to you
Promising a glamorous gospel
But look here
That the greatest missionary of the church
Is ending his days like this

Imprisoned, cold, and asking for someone to bring him at least some books
Remember Christ on the cross
Missing not anything else
But the absence of the Father
Do you want this gospel?

Even knowing that you are at risk
Of taking the same path
And ending your days asking a distant friend
Bring me a cloak and some books

An old voice once said
God, if you treat your closest friends like this
It's no wonder you have so few

This is Paul
Coming to the end of his days