Colossians 1:3 – Thankfulness

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, …

Summary: Loneliness is a horrible affliction. Paul reminds us to be thankful that we are not alone in the world as Christians.

This passage reminds me of a scene from the movie “Fiddler on the Roof.” In the scene, Tevya prays for the Czar, the ruler of Russia in those days, this way:

“May God bless and keep the Czar… far away from us!”

The line is delivered perfectly with a dramatic pause before “far away from us!” Tevya and his friends were obeying God and praying for the government, but also praying for their protection from the government.

Paul’s prayer is different.

He prays for a church he has never been to, the church at Colossae. He doesn’t tell us what he includes in his prayer except that he always thanks God for the people there.

I think Paul is pointing us to something important here.

What if we who believed in Jesus were all alone in the world? How would that feel? Do we take our fellow believers for granted?

In the days before Pentecost, the world was either hostile to people who believed in Jesus or simply indifferent. The few who believed were like a tiny island in a giant ocean.

After Pentecost, the truth of the Gospel began to spread. Scripture says, “… about three thousand were added to their number that day.” (Acts 2:41) The Bible also says that these people were “God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.” (Acts 2:5) When they returned home, the news of Jesus Christ traveled with them.

The message they took with them was simple. As Peter pointed out to them in his speech, “God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” (Acts 2:36) As Jews, they understood both concepts well. The Lord was the God of all things, and the Messiah was to be the heir to King David (Jeremiah 23:5-6).

When Paul began his ministry, he was once again alone. Because his ministry was to the Gentiles (Ephesians 3:8) he was hated by many Jews. As Gentile churches formed, Paul’s world became less lonely.

Paul knows what it is to stand alone for the Gospel and to be among friends. He prefers being among friends. Even though he has never met the members of the church in Colossae, he knows they are there, and he takes comfort in that fact. When he prays for them he also thanks God for them.

Application: Be mindful of the blessings of fellow Christians.

Food for Thought: Why does Paul thank God instead of Jesus?

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