Luke, our beloved doctor, and Demas send their best wishes. –PAUL, to the Colossian church
In a small house in Rome sits the prisoner. His eyes are closed, his head tilted upward as he dictates to Tychius a letter of encouragement to the church in Colossae. In mid-sentence a Roman guard enters to inform him that a guest has arrived. Paul is accustomed to such interruptions. Visits from friends and co-laborers are frequent in the house. They come from far and wide to fellowship with the great missionary and to bring news from churches in Asia Minor, Macedonia, Greece and Jerusalem. Upon leaving, many carry letters from him to encourage and instruct the young congregations.
Paul immediately stops dictating his correspondence. He turns toward the door to welcome his guest, but the beaming of the noonday sun into the dark room obscures his view. Not until the visitor is three steps inside does Paul recognize him.
"Doctor Luke! Come in, my dear friend!"
Since Paul was brought under house arrest three months ago, the physician has seldom missed a chance to converse with him. Yet today, as always, Luke embraces his mentor with all the emotion of a long-awaited reunion.
They first met in Troas in Asia Minor, just after Paul received the call from God to carry the gospel into Europe. Through Paul’s persuasion, Luke became a follower of Christ. Based on Luke’s commitment, the apostle deemed him worthy to be one of his traveling companions. Since then, they had never been apart. Accompanied by Silas, Timothy, and Titus, they crossed into Macedonia, starting churches in Philippi and Thessalonica. Then they proceeded on to Greece, establishing a fellowship of believers in Corinth, even preaching the good news in Athens. The next two stops were home bases, Jerusalem and Antioch; then it was off to the mission field again. On this, Paul’s third missionary journey, they returned to Asia Minor, Macedonia, and Greece and then settled for eighteen months in the city of Ephesus. At every stop the forward-looking apostle was preoccupied with preaching the gospel and collecting an offering for the struggling Jerusalem church. He kept in touch via letter with churches he had established and wrote to believers in Rome announcing his plans to visit them for the first time. Eventually he did arrive there, but he was in chains. While in Jerusalem to deliver the offering, he was arrested and brought to Rome to await trial. Now, in a house under Roman guard, Luke stands once again at Paul’s side, just as he had in shipwreck, suffering, and sickness.
Paul is so delighted to see Luke that he fails to notice a young man standing immediately behind him. He apologizes for his oversight and asks the physician to introduce his companion. He is told that the man's name is Demas, a fellow Christian and a key player in the growth of the church in Rome. In an attempt to rectify his unintentional discourtesy, Paul spends more time than usual with Demas, inquiring of his background, of his conversion, and of his subsequent ministry.
In the course of that conversation, Demas asks him a question: "I saw, when we entered, that you were busy dictating a letter to Tychius. With whom, may I ask, were you corresponding?"
"To the Christians in Colossae in Asia Minor," is Paul's reply. "Epaphrus tells me that some of them are being led astray by false teachers. These people need to be reminded of the primacy of Christ. Jesus is all they need! Tychius, read to Luke and Demas a section of my letter."
The young scribe scours the unfinished document to find words that best fit Paul's theme.
For though I am a long way away from you in body, in spirit I am by your side, watching like a proud father the solid steadfastness of your faith in Christ. Just as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so go on living in him – in simple faith. Grow out of him as a plant grows out of the soil it is planted in, becoming more and more sure of the faith as you were taught it, and your lives will overflow with joy and thankfulness. Be careful that nobody spoils your faith through intellectualism or high-sounding nonsense. Such stuff is at best founded on men's ideas of the nature of the world and disregards Christ! Yet it is in him that God gives a full and complete expression of himself.
Tychius finishes, but Paul wants to make sure Luke and Demas understand. "They need to get back to basics," he explains. "And they need encouragement, a lot of encouragement. It's not easy for them, you know. It's all so new, and they have so many pressures inside and out."
"Tell them," Luke exclaims, "that I am behind them all the way!"
"So am I!" echoes Demas. "Send them encouragement from both of us."
The apostle pauses briefly to reflect, then nods to Tychius. The scribe grabs his pen, ready to transcribe. Paul assumes once again that familiar posture—eyes closed, head tilted toward the ceiling:
Tychius (a well-loved brother, a faithful minister and a fellow-servant of the Lord) will tell you all about my present circumstances. This is partly why I am sending him to you. The other reasons are that you may find out how we are all getting on, and that he may put new heart into you. With him is Onesimus one of your own congregation (well-loved and faithful, too). Between them they will tell you of conditions and activities here.
Aristarchus, who is also in prison here, sends greetings, and so does Barnabas' cousin, Mark. I believe I told you before about him; if he does come to you, make him welcome. Jesus Justus, another Hebrew Christian, is here too. Only these few are working with me for the kingdom, but what a help they have been!
Epaphras, another member of your church, and a real servant of Christ, sends his greeting. He works hard for you even here, for he prays constantly and earnestly for you, that you may become mature Christians, and may fulfill God's will for you. From my own observation I can tell you that he has a real passion for your welfare, and for that of the churches of Laodicea and Hierapolis.
Luke, our beloved doctor, and Demas send their best wishes.
Paul pauses and looks at his two guests, seeking their approval. They smile. Caught up in the inspiration of the moment, the apostle arches his head again, intent on finishing his letter. As he restarts his dictation, Luke and Demas quietly turn and head toward the door, the sound of their feet on the stone floor muffling the words of the apostle. Then, just before they exit—at the very place their countenance once again becomes distorted by penetrating sunlight—they notice that Paul has stopped speaking. They turn, thinking he is done, only to witness something rare indeed. Paul leans toward Tychius and takes the manuscript and pen into his own hands. His diseased eyes are inches from the papyrus as he writes. Even from across the room the largeness of his printing is evident. He speaks aloud, as if dictating to himself.
My personal greeting written to you with my own hands.
Then, as the shackles around his wrists rattle, he pens his final exhortation to the Colossians.
Remember my chains.
Again he pauses and looks toward Luke and Demas. To them and to the church at Colossae, he gives a farewell blessing.
Grace be with you.
Now, the rest of the story. The tale of Luke and Demas does not end here. Their paths soon go in opposite directions. In a letter to Timothy, written after the Colossian epistle, Paul reports that "Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world" (2 Timothy 4:10). He then adds, "Only Luke is with me" (v. 11).
Yes, Luke carries on the work of Christ. After Paul’s death, the good doctor authors the third gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, the latter focusing on the ministry of his friend and mentor. Demas, on the other hand, moves to Thessalonica and disappears from history.
All of us, created by God to commune with Him, should take heed. In the story of these two men is a message we need to hear. You and I are in a race called life. What we do today, at this very moment, matters to God. But so does our performance over the long haul. Tomorrow matters, too. If we do not reach the finish line, we fail miserably.
When your race is over, which will you be: a Luke or a Demas? The choice is yours…today and tomorrow.
