Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Philippians 2:19-21: 19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
What does it mean to be genuinely concerned for the welfare of another?
To seek the interests of Jesus Christ, rather than one's own. And like in St. Paul's day, there aren't too many people like that today.
We like to solve the problems of other people with our solutions. "Let me tell you how I've handled that before."
Men are the worst. Our wives or mothers or sisters or daughters pour their hearts out to us, and what do we do? We tell them what they need to do to solve their problem. Because we're men, and we like to solve problems.
There aren't many people who have the interests of Jesus Christ. Jesus hears our confessions. He hears all of us pouring out our deepest and darkest secrets--the secrets we don't dare tell even to our spouse because we know how they would react. Jesus listens to us...and he still loves and cares for us. He wipes away our indiscretions. He still gives His holy Absolution. For He is the solution.
Paul was sending Timothy, the young pastor, because Timothy knew what his task was--to hear confession, and to assure the people of the grace of Jesus Christ.
Timothy knew, like any good pastor, that he couldn't solve every one's problems. But he knew that Jesus had forgiven them, and that is what he wanted the people to know.
As you pour out your heart, may you know the love of God in Christ Jesus, for there is no one like Him. Amen.
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