Paul's Farewell

 12/10/25                       2 Tim 2:8-15.      St Peter’s.  Luke 17:11-19

This morning we are going to spend most of our time with Timothy, and then have a brief look at the gospel.

This letter of Paul’s is particularly poignant. It’s the last of his writings that we have and we see him in it at his most human. He’s in prison and knows his time is short ‘As for me I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time for my departure is near. I have finished the race.’ It’s not unusual for Paul to mentions the people he knows in his letters, but this comes across as writing to a family friend - he knew Timothy’s mother and grandmother - he’s seen Timothy growing up - and above everything  now he wants to encourage Timothy in his faith, and give him the best possible advice he can for a future that he knows he will not see. In many ways what he says is very simple - he doesn’t give Timothy a new teaching but points him back to the basics.  ‘Timothy always remember what you know and rejoice in it.’

And that is what we are going to do this morning. We’re going to spend some time remembering so that we can give thanks. 

I’m going to introduce three areas Paul suggested to Timothy then we’ll keep a short silence for us to recall memories of our own and then give thanks for them

Timothy - Paul says - remember what you have seen in me - remember how I have lived, how I have given myself to Jesus’s service - I was brought up as a Quaker and at a Friend’s funeral  the suggestion is made to the mourners that we give thanks for the grace of God we have seen in the life of our departed friend. Now it’s very possible that there will be people we are grateful to - for how they have shown us something of Jesus in the way that they live, something they have said to us, that something of God in them has also drawn us closer to God. But we don’t need to wait till someone has died to give thanks for what we have seen of God’s grace  in their lives. Give thanks for the person. 

Remember Timothy the hope you have in Jesus, - For us too - remember Jesus living and dying for us, his companionship when things have been difficult - the moments of grace that have sometimes come when we have felt flat or hopeless or trapped - we may have let him down, but still he is there - ‘if we are faithless, he remains faithful for he cannot disown himself’ - the grace of knowing God walks with us his gift, but it doesn’t always come in a spiritual package- it can be a cup of tea when you’re at your wit’s end, an unexpected warmth of welcome.  Give thanks for the graces you have noticed 

Remember Timothy who you follow and the task you have been given - this we too need to remember - each of us are different, each of us is a different part of the body of Christ with a different role to play. What is our role? How do we play it? 

Jesus is our example - what does that practically mean for we who are not perfect. Rowan Williams suggests a guide, ‘What is in tune with the life of Christ? What opens, rather than closes, doors for God's healing, reconciling, forgiving, and creating work to go on? Even if we go on to make a mistake, we have not done it by shutting the door on God. We have done our best to leave room for God.’

 Give thanks for the task you have been given and the part you can play in the body of Christ.  

The people who have inspired us, the graces we have experienced, the tasks we have been given, the way we are Christian will be as individual as we are - this is what we are to remember - we are not called to be anybody else. The path Paul is pointing Timothy - and us  towards will lead him to the fulness of life that is our Christian hope

Now the the briefest of looks at Luke. Ten lepers all are healed, all are cleansed, but only one returns to give praise to God and it is this one - the outsider, the Samaritan - who is made well. What does this mean? All were all healed, all were cleansed but only this one was made well.

Sometimes I think we short change the gospel/good news when we simply focus on forgiveness, on cleansing - as though all that Jesus had come to do was to give us a get out of Jail free card. He came for  much more than that - Jesus came so that we would not simply be forgiven by God, he came that we might be reconciled to him, he came so that our relationship with his Father which was broken by our sin could be made good. Jesus doesn’t just want us forgiven - he wants our company;  he doesn’t just want that we should no longer be his enemy, he wants us as friends. 

This I think is what is happening in our gospel to the leper who came back - imagine the scene - he’s not coming back quietly - ‘Look look what God has done for me’ and he throws himself at Jesus feet. He is made well - perhaps this is what reconciliation looks like, perhaps this is what Paul wants Timothy to remember and perhaps this reconciliation, this making well, this loving companionship is what Jesus wants for us too