Living Examples

My 'unsung hero' -- my grandpa, C. B. Johnson

Scripture

Phil. 2:19   I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may be cheered by news of you. ²⁰ I have no one like him who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. ²¹ All of them are seeking their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. ²² But Timothy’s worth you know, how like a son with a father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. ²³ I hope therefore to send him as soon as I see how things go with me; ²⁴ and I trust in the Lord that I will also come soon.

Phil. 2:25   Still, I think it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus—my brother and co-worker and fellow soldier, your messenger and minister to my need; ²⁶ for he has been longing for all of you, and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. ²⁷ He was indeed so ill that he nearly died. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, so that I would not have one sorrow after another. ²⁸ I am the more eager to send him, therefore, in order that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. ²⁹ Welcome him then in the Lord with all joy, and honor such people, ³⁰ because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for those services that you could not give me.

Observation

Paul had just laid before the Philippians the call to become like Christ. Not only were they to be united in the mind of Christ, but they were to live a life after the pattern of Jesus. For many this would appear to be daunting. However, Paul knew that for the Church to live as new creation, the members would have to be united to Christ so that they could be living witnesses in the world. 

It seems as if Paul is interrupted in his thought when he interjects his comments about the arrival of Timothy and Epaphroditus. Yes, he’s interested in letting people know about travel plans, but there’s another purpose. Both of these men represent living examples of what he has just placed before the Philippians. In case they wanted to push back against what Paul had said, he wanted them to see that this life of faith was possible. 

Notice how Timothy is described with the same humility of Christ. He does not seek his own welfare, but that of others. Also, while Timothy is of great value to Paul, he’s willing to share him with those whom he loves. Epaphroditus has become a great help to Paul, even risking his own life to help Paul. Both of these men would not be valued in the Roman culture, they would not have positions of significance, but their validation does not come from the world. Rather, they serve in humility with holiness, putting the interests of others above their own. Just as Jesus did. 

Application

We have all had those unsung heroes who have ministered to us. I think that there are far more of them than we are willing to admit. It’s so easy to get drawn into the world of Rome, where we see position and power as symbols of success. But there are so many others who have quietly served the Lord and no one has hardly noticed. 

A few nights ago I had the privilege of meeting with the pastors of the Nebraska district by way of Zoom. For me, it was a trip down memory lane. When I was a child, my paternal grandparents lived in Nebraska. The first time I visited the US was the summer I turned three and I came to Nebraska, met my grandparents and learned a little bit about American life. My grandparents pastored for 50 years on the Nebraska district, faithfully building and serving small churches. 

The pastor from Sidney, Nebraska was on our Zoom call. My husband and I had recently spent the night in Sidney, on our way to Idaho to go through some of my father’s things. My grandfather pastored in Sidney my dad’s senior year of High School. My dad got a job working for the railroad while his dad worked hard at building a church. He literally built the church with his own two hands, making the blocks out back behind the building and slowly putting the building together, bit by bit. He loved people and preached holiness. 

The inside of the dedication program. On the right is the building that
grandpa built with his own two hands. It's still in use today as the
Church of the Nazarene in Sidney, Nebraska.

My grandfather was an unsung hero. He never pastored a large church. He built the buildings of most of the churches he pastored. He and my grandmother had a daughter with Down syndrome and they lovingly cared for her throughout her life. My aunt Shirley never learned to speak or feed herself, but my grandpa sure knew how to love her. I can still see him leading her through the house — Shirley wrapping her arms around his waist as she followed her beloved father. Flemming tells us, “Real success comes when we embody the narrative of Christlike love. [We are challenged] to more intentionally recall and find ways to honor those little-known, ‘unsung heroes’ in our own lives—those who have modeled such cruciform love before us.” (NBBC) 

In a world screaming for attention, following Jesus leads us to embody the narrative of Jesus. We are to quietly go about the business of being like Jesus in the world. We need more ‘unsung heroes’ these days. 

Prayer

Lord, I want to follow you on this path, and along the way, rejoice in those unsung heroes of the world. Amen.