Jump Start # 1795

Romans 16:7 “Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who were outstanding among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.”

Romans 16 is a great chapter. It is loaded with thank you greetings and names which are hard to pronounce. The stories behind these names are mostly forgotten to history but remembered by Heaven. It was these names that allowed Paul to be Paul.

Our verse today is just a sampling of what we find in Romans 16. Two names and four statements that are very impressive.

First, Andronicus and Junias were related to Paul. They are identified as his kinsmen. Family. Blood. But more than that, brethren. It makes a family richer and deeper when they not only share the same name, and same history, but the same love for the Lord.

Second, they became Christians before Paul. One wonders if Paul would have persecuted these two had he caught up with them. Before he was a Christian, Paul was bent on wiping the name of Christ off the planet. He was arresting men and women and forcing them to renounce their faith or face punishment. Would he have done that to his own kinsmen? I’d expect the answer would be yes. That was Paul’s side of things. What about these two kinsmen? How difficult it would be when someone in the family is not a believer and against what you are doing. Many families have that. There is the atheistic cousin who teaches in the local college. There is the loud mouth uncle who loves to brag about all the wrong things in religion. There is the drunk father. There is the verbally abusive mother. There is the gay family member. Paul’s kinsmen were in Christ before Paul. While these two, Andronicus and Junias, were following Christ, Paul was following Christians to catch them. Sometimes our very families can be an embarrassment to us.

Third, they were “fellow-prisoners” of Paul. They had been in prison, not for crimes but because of their faith. They must have been in prison with Paul. He calls them, “my fellow” prisoners. They had been persecuted. We wonder if Paul sang hymns with them in prison as he did in Philippi. Was Paul a source of encouragement, having been through so many trials himself? Together, in prison.

Fourth, they were “outstanding among the apostles.” I love that expression and wish we knew more about that. Just what did they do. It sounds as if it wasn’t just for Paul, but the “apostles.” Outstanding. We understand that in sports—those folks get the MVP. Outstanding in the music field gets the Grammy. In films, it’s the Oscar. But unlike those American awards, no one votes for this. There is no banquet or ceremony. There is no golden statue presented to them. They were being praised among brethren and especially to Heaven. God recognized the good that these men were doing. Outstanding among the apostles. Yet, in Scriptures, they are not mentioned much.

All of these teaches us a few lessons.

First, all of us have people of faith surrounding us that have helped us. It is so easy to always notice the wrong. We notice who is not attending much. We notice those who mess up. We notice areas needing improvement. How often do we recognize those who are “outstanding” among us. They go out of their way. They may not make much noise, say much, but they do what they can do. They help worship run smoothly. They help take care of the building. They give rides to those who need them. They are there to help others. They do all the behind the scene stuff that allows a church to send out sermons, videos and live stream. Often these folks do not carry the title deacon, elder or preacher. In fact, most would shy away from such things. They are just happy to do what they can do.

Second, it is important to recognize those who are outstanding among us. Don’t throw them a party, because that would embarrass them. But thank them. Give them a shout out from the pulpit. Take them out to lunch. Buy them a gift. Let them know that you appreciate their dedication and hard work. I remember reading about what Broncos quarterback John Elway did one year for his offensive line. After the season, he bought them all every expensive boots as his way of thanking them for doing their job. He didn’t have to do that, but he did. It was his way of honoring those who were outstanding among him.

Once in a while, hard workers get discouraged. They may feel that no one notices what they are doing. That discouragement can lead them to stop what they are doing. You don’t want that to happen, so a heart felt thank you is important.

Third, everyone wants to be the apostle but it is important also to be the ones who were outstanding among them. Not everyone can be an elder, but you can be outstanding among them. Not everyone can preach, but you can be outstanding among them. Find what you can do and do it well. To this day, few would recognize the name Andronicus from the Bible. Everybody knows Paul. Don’t let that stop you from doing what you can do. Don’t try to lower Paul so that you can put yourself in the limelight. Had it not been Paul telling us about these two men, we would have never know this. We don’t find them telling their own story. You don’t read them preaching how great they were among the apostles. You won’t find them tooting their own horns. They helped and the glory goes to God.

Fourth, someday the details of what we do will be forgotten as well. God will know and that’s what matters. Every generation has just a handful that are remembered. That’s true spiritually. In a study of Restoration history, a few names are remembered, but most are not. Acts 13, tells us that David served the purpose of God in his generation. That’s what we do. All the sermons, articles and things we preachers do, will be lost in a short time. We are planting for this season. We are helping this generation. When God is through with us here, we will go home and others will do what they can. Don’t worry about that. Don’t try to make a name for yourself. Don’t aim to be Mr. Bigshot. You’ll fail. Just do your work. Just help others. Let God get the glory.

Outstanding among the apostles… I look forward to meeting Andronicus in Heaven. I doubt I’d even ask him what was so outstanding. It won’t matter. I think I would just like to stand beside him for a while.

Roger

Jump Start # 489 

Romans 16:7 “Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the  apostles, who also were in Christ before me.” 

  Romans 16 reads like a roll call. Schools take attendance. Some congregations do the same. We sing a hymn that states, “When the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.” Revelation tells us that God has a book and if your name is in that book, meaning, you have chosen to walk with Christ, you will be in Heaven.

  Paul’s list of many names, most we cannot pronounce easily, is not for the sake of attendance, as it is identifying those that made a difference to him personally. These are the ones that he could depend upon and were there when he needed them. Some, like Prisca, risked their necks for Paul. Others, like Junias in our passage, were arrested and imprisoned along with Paul.

  The story of Andronicus and Junias is lost to history. Their names, nor their stories are not found elsewhere in the Bible. They lived, loved and walked with the Lord. They did what they could do. They were not ashamed of their faith. They were arrested. We don’t know how the story ends for them. Were they executed? Did they gain their release?

  Why did God put their names in the Bible? Why use paper and ink on names that were so soon forgotten? Could it be that you and I are more like Andronicus and Junias than anyone else?

  Common, simple people with an unbelievable faith in Jesus Christ. They were known to Paul. I don’t know if the Ephesians knew them, or the Thessalonians, but Paul did. Most of us are not known very far outside of our home congregation. We travel from one coast to the other and worship with a congregation on a Sunday, and few, if any know us. I think that’s Junias. Back home, in our congregations, we do what we can. People count upon us, we serve in what ever way that we can. We try to be dependable, trustworthy and a good example. The preachers are known throughout the country. Many elders are known in many places. But the Junias’ are not. Yet their work is extremely important and they are the life of a congregation.

  I know some “Junias’” where I worship. They carry different names, such as Sam or Billy, or Gary, or James, or Brian, or Mark, or Greg or many, many others I could list. Take them out of our congregation and drop them two states away and people would not know them. But back home, they are like Junias—faithful, dependable, loyal, hard working, God-loving, and serious about going to Heaven. They greet visitors with a smile. They make sure all the buttons are turned on and everything is just as it is supposed to be. You can count on them—they are always there. Ask them anything, and they will do it.

  Paul said his “Junias” was outstanding among the apostles. My “Junias’” are outstanding to the church where I worship. I dare say, in every congregation you’ve got folks just like that. They quietly walk through life doing what they can. If you make any fuss about them, they’d say that they are simply doing their job. Most congregations would collapse without these backbone people. The attention goes to the preacher and elders, often too much attention, yet it’s these Junias’ that are steady, reliable and hard working. Just doing what they can.

  In many ways, shouldn’t all of us be like that?

• Dependable—folks know that if you’re not at church, you are either out of town or sick. Not everyone’s like this. Some are like the weather. They come and go and you never know when they are going to be there. 

• Hard working—that’s what made Junias outstanding among the apostles. Hard working for Jesus. Finding what you are good at and doing it. Too many are idle. Too many are waiting for someone to tell them what to do. If you are good at cooking, share your food with others. If you are good with fixing things, go fix things for others. If you are a writer, send some cards. If you don’t know a stranger, invite folks to services.

• See what needs to be done. They have their eyes opened and notice things, even simple things. A piece of trash doesn’t belong on the floor. My Junias’ will pick it up and put it in the trash can. They will open doors for someone with a walker. They will walk someone to their car with an umbrella when it’s raining. They have a heart of a servant, like the Lord, they love.

• Loving things that are right. My Junias’ love preaching and for some reason, they love my preaching. They make sure I know it. Every preacher needs that. Every eldership needs that. There’s enough problems and junk to discourage anyone, and often the praise runs a little thin. Not in the heart of a Junias. I expect the reason Andronicus and Junias were in prison with Paul had something to do with Paul. They loved him and wanted to help him. Maybe they couldn’t preach. Maybe they weren’t chosen to be inspired, yet they could show their love for the Lord by caring for God’s people—all of them.

  Every congregation needs a Junias. It’s not easy. You can’t come to services late all the time and be a Junias. They are the ones’ who are there early to help others. You don’t peal out at the last amen. No, most Junias’ I know are about the last to leave. It takes time. It takes service. It takes heart. What do they get out of this? First, they make a huge difference in the life and atmosphere of a church. It simply wouldn’t be what it is without them. Second, God knows. And when that roll is called, God knows those who loved Him so much that they tried to make things better for others.

  You have Junias in your life. You may not have stopped to recognize it, but you do. The greater thought though is this, what’s it going to take for you to be a Junias to someone else? God is counting on you and wants you to do what you can. He’s not expecting the impossible, just be a Junias in your own way. Put others first. Think about how you can make things better. Be kind. Be helpful. Be there.

  Outstanding among the apostles…and in our time, outstanding among God’s people…and in my case, outstanding to me!

  Thanks!

  Roger