+Paul takes great care and great aim at Timothy to be as sure as he possibly can be that Timothy understands what he is trying to teach him.
And to be as sure as he possibly can that Timothy is staying faithful to Paul’s teachings about none other than “the king of kings and the Lord of lords.”
For all practical purposes, he almost sings these words, and he actually finalizes them as a prayer: “To him be honor and eternal power. Amen!”
Four verses later (Verse 20), Paul will give a final and stern warning, “O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you.”
With very unsimilar language but a similar message, Jesus speaks to his disciples — his followers.
They were people who wanted to know and understand Jesus’ teachings.
They followed him.
Jesus was warning them also that the message, like seeds sown by a farmer, had potential to produce much fruit — or not.
It had to do with where the seed was sown, and on what kind of ground it was received.
His words, like the seed, were meant to produce fruit; those who were really open to it could hear, see, and understand.
It was not enough to find a little fascination with the word, or to be mildly impressed.
The word gives life and light. And to the disciples of Jesus, for whom the seed/word was given, Jesus had that desire and intention to help them bear much fruit and to discover the power of his words and teaching.
Paul continued the same tradition with Timothy, urging him to see, hear, understand, and to live the word!
It is up to us also to pay keen attention to the quality of our soil and its openness to hear that word of God and the teachings of Jesus.
Mere fascination is not enough. We, too, must “guard what has been entrusted to us.”
Father Perry Dean Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com.
