This past Wednesday, during our Philippians Bible study, we looked at verses 2:19-30, in verse 30 Paul writes this about Epaphroditus: “because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me.” In this entire passage, Paul takes us from challenge to relief, from fearing that the commands are more than we can fulfill to finding out that brothers are being sent to walk with us, stand next to us and help lead us into all that we have been challenged to be. “Not regarding his life” points us back to a group of people called the parabolani, the gamblers, people who were willing to be sent to wherever God called them to go. Below is a blog post written by our youth leader, Amanda Mackie, that stems from this Bible study:
The Call to be a Gambler
Last week one of my friends had a friend of his own pass away after being shot. And two nights ago, a man was shot and killed only two streets over from where I live. Both homicides happened in areas known for violence. These were not the first shootings and sadly probably will not be the last in these communities. As I thought about the family members and friends of these men, I began to think about the town I grew up in. The thought of losing a friend or family member to a violent act never even crossed my mind growing up. People in my school did not get arrested and fights were not a daily occurrence. If anything of that nature did happen, people talked about it for weeks because that was not the norm for us.
But I only grew up 15 minutes from where I live now and the violence here is not new. My heart was shut off and I did not even know it. Empathy is defined as “the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within the other being’s frame of reference, i.e., the capacity to place oneself in another’s position. Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another and feelings with the heart of another” In the last 3 years I have truly begun to understand empathy. It is more than just a quick thought or prayer when a news article pops up in my newsfeed. It is allowing my heart to be broken and mourning with those who mourn. It is going to the places and people that God leads no matter the cost to myself; because the cost of people not knowing God and experiencing His character is far greater than any cost to myself including my own life. And my heart does not just break for Burlington and the surrounding towns that are experience violence, but for the refugees, for the widows, orphans, and whoever else God breaks my heart for.
“In the days of the early Church, there was an association of men and women called the parabolani, the gamblers. It was their aim to visit the prisoners and the sick, especially those who were ill with dangerous and infectious diseases. In AD 252, plague broke out in Carthage; the people threw out the bodies of their dead and fled in terror. Cyprian, the Christian bishop, gathered his congregation together and put them to work burying the dead and nursing the sick in that plague stricken city; and by doing so, at the risk of their lives, they saved the city from destruction and desolation.” (William Barclay, The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians and Thessalonians)
When violence or any kind of turmoil happens in a town, there are many who talk about leaving and I mean no judgement to those because for them, moving, may be what they are supposed to do. But for me and I think for many Christians, unless God leads us out, we cannot just run when we become uncomfortable or things get difficult. Instead we need to be gamblers, those who stand face to face with the enemy and are not shaken. Those who run into the fire. It may seem foolish and reckless, but we have a God who sent His only Son to die, a death He did not deserve, for our sake. Jesus did not turn His back on us, but He ran to us. And now we get to be those who run to others to show His character. Jim Elliot was a missionary who died at the hands of those he knew he was called to and before he left his friends and family did not want him to go because they said he would die. And they ended up being right. The people pleaded with Paul not to go to Jerusalem because they said he was going to die. And he did die. People like Jim Elliot, Paul, even Cyprian understood that their lives already belonged to God and therefore no one could take it from them because even in their deaths they knew God would be glorified.
Jim Elliot was a gambler and because of his reckless obedience entire tribes were saved. Cyprian and his congregation were gamblers and an entire city was saved from destruction. What if instead of waiting for laws to be changed or for other people to do something, we became gamblers? What if before laws changed, hearts were changed? What if we we became those who show love, concern, generosity, compassion, and mercy to those people and places that others have deemed not worth it, too risky, or hopeless? What if we saw with the eyes of another, listened with the ears of another and felt with the heart of another? What if we allowed God to give us His eyes, ears, and heart?
I realize that this may not be the call given to all. But I cannot sit back and turn a blind eye to the things God is showing me. I have to be a gambler. I have to be part of those who follow Jesus and trust Him with everything. I have to be someone who shows kindness when it seems hate is running rampant. I know I am not alone, but even if I had to stand alone I would because there will always be a remnant. God is greater than my fears, He will provide for everything I need to accomplish His will and if I do not have it then I do not need it and He can be trusted. What if, like Esther, we were all placed where we are for such a time as this?
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To listen to this Bible study please click the link below:
Bible Study: Philippians 2:19-30 “Sending and Receiving”
If you would like to join us for our Bible study, we will meet again on Wednesday, February 1st at 7:00 PM. The Bible study is held at the Kulynych’s home, 945 Bordentown Rd. in Burlington every other Wednesday. We apologize but there is no child care provided for this gathering. If you have any questions please email Abie [email protected]