“We are also sending with them another of our brothers who has proven himself many times and has shown on many occasions how eager he is. He is now even more enthusiastic because of his great confidence in you. If anyone asks about Titus, say that he is my partner who works with me to help you. And the brothers with him have been sent by the churches, and they bring honour to Christ. So show them your love, and prove to all the churches that our boasting about you is justified.”
2 Corinthians 8:22-24 NLT
So there was quite a party of brothers engaged in transporting the offering, which included the contributions from the Macedonian churches. Titus and another unnamed brother went to Corinth to add what the congregation there wanted to contribute, and with them were some other brothers from Macedonia. These were Godly men, devoted to bringing “honour to Christ”. But there was one feature about them that was easy to miss – these men had been “sent by the churches”. We know nothing at all about these men, but they were most probably fully committed believers, so intent on doing God’s work that they, like Paul, had nothing and relied on the generosity of other believers whom they met on their journeys. Communications were hazardous in those days, with roads unpoliced and people travelling on them at risk of attack from bandits and robbers. Sea journeys were equally dangerous because of weather issues and other dangers – Paul himself said that he had been shipwrecked three times (2 Corinthians 11:25). But these “sent out” ones were willing to risk anything because they were focused on their mission, which was to accompany Titus and his associate and ensure the offerings made were still fully intact by the time they reached Jerusalem.
Being “sent out” is a fundamental part of what it means to be a Christian. We all know the Great Commission, which we can read in Matthew 28:18-20, “Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age””. This was an unequivocal command from Jesus, one that applies not just to the disciples alive at the time, but one that has rippled down the centuries since, with men and women journeying to places that need to hear the Gospel, and where churches and fellowships need to be established. People like David Livingston and Mary Slessor come to mind from the nineteenth century. From the twentieth century, we remember missionaries such as Jim Elliot and Amy Carmichael. More recently, I was on the mailing list of a young woman who lived and worked in Lebanon, as she shared Jesus’ message of hope with Muslim families there. Closer to home, a couple I know are waiting for an opportunity to return to Bethlehem, where they were involved with a charity bringing God’s love to people there. These are all faithful believers who have responded positively to God’s call.
In the Gospels, we read of several occasions when Jesus “sent out” His disciples to do God’s work. In Matthew 10:5-8, we read, “Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep. Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!” A bit later, we read about the seventy-two disciples, sent out in pairs. Luke 10:1-3, “The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields. Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves”. At the end of their mission, we read, “When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!”” (Luke 10:17).
But it wasn’t just the New Testament believers who were “sent out”. In one of my favourite passages, we read about Isaiah, who had such a profound vision of the Lord in the Temple that he exclaimed, “… It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies” (Isaiah 6:5). That was a commissioning and life-changing moment for Isaiah, because he went on to answer a question from the Lord. “Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me”” (Isaiah 6:8). Later on, he wrote “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!” (Isaiah 52:7). Isaiah’s life was dedicated to being “sent out” and because of it he ultimately suffered a violent death. Being “sent out” will often have unwelcome consequences, but Jesus warned His disciples about that. He said, “Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me” (Matthew 10:16-18).
Paul was a “sent out” man who devoted his whole life, following his Damascus Road conversion, to fulfilling the Great Commission. In his letter to the Romans, he wrote about the message of salvation, which we can read in Romans 10:8-9, “In fact, it says, “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.” And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved”. But then he asked the question, “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”” (Romans 10:14-15).
Have we pilgrims got “beautiful feet”? Or are we prone to resting them too much, hoping someone else will be sent out? It’s a difficult question, because we often have to juggle the demands of our workaday lives with our Christian service. But when we do get the opportunities, we share the wonderful Good News about Jesus, planting seeds and reaping the fruit. And as we go, our feet increase in beauty, enhanced by the message that they bear.
Dear Father God. Please bring our way opportunities to share Your Word with those who are ready and waiting to hear it. We have been sent to share our testimonies and the message of Christ in our desperately needy world. Thank You for the privilege. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 