Dear Pastor,

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus describes believers this way: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matt 5:7). Paul’s description of Onesiphorus and his prayers for Onesiphorus and his household provide a concrete example of this verse. Paul even uses a play on words to highlight the connection between showing mercy and receiving mercy. The play on words is evident in the Greek and has been preserved in the translation.

¹⁵ Οἶδας τοῦτο ὅτι ἀπεστράφησάν με πάντες οἱ ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ, ὧν ἐστιν Φύγελος καὶ Ἑρμογένης.  ¹⁶ δῴη ἔλεος ὁ κύριος τῷ Ὀνησιφόρου οἴκῳ, ὅτι πολλάκις με ἀνέψυξεν, καὶ τὴν ἅλυσίν μου οὐκ ἐπαισχύνθη·  ¹⁷ ἀλλὰ γενόμενος ἐν Ῥώμῃ σπουδαίως ἐζήτησέν με καὶ εὗρεν— ¹⁸ δῴη αὐτῷ ὁ κύριος εὑρεῖν ἔλεος παρὰ κυρίου ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ—καὶ ὅσα ἐν Ἐφέσῳ διηκόνησεν, βέλτιον σὺ γινώσκεις.

Translation: You know that everyone in the province of Asia turned away from me, among them Phygelus and Hermogenes. May the Lord give mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he refreshed me time and time again and was not ashamed of my chain. On the contrary, once he arrived in Rome, he searched diligently for me and found me. May the Lord grant that he finds mercy from the Lord on that day. And all the ways he served in Ephesus, you know better than I do.

In the previous section, Paul urged Timothy not to be ashamed of the gospel of Christ or his gospel messengers, even when they are in prison (see 2 Tim 1:8). In these four verses, Paul provides negative examples and a positive example of how others have reacted to his imprisonment.

First, the negative example: Everyone in the province of Asia turned away from him. Even though Paul had spent more than three years in Ephesus, preaching and teaching the gospel there, none of them were visiting him. Paul mentions two by name. Perhaps they were leaders. Perhaps they are the two whose silence disappointed Paul the most. Paul is not saying that none of them were believers anymore. Paul points out their lack of support but doesn’t identify their motivation. Were they afraid to help Paul? Were they ashamed of him now that he was a prisoner?

As we go about our ministries, there are times when we will be disappointed by the words and actions of the people we serve. There may be times when God’s people do not support, defend, or encourage us as much as we might have wanted. What are we to do in such situations? One of Paul’s strategies was to focus on a positive example.

The difference in length is significant: Paul writes fifteen Greek words about the many who turned away from him; he writes forty-six words about the one man who came, worked hard to find him, and revived him many times—no doubt physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

It is not uncommon for believers to pray, “Lord, make me a Barnabas.” How about this prayer: “Lord, make me a Onesiphorus.”

Reading this paragraph, one gets the feeling that one Onesiphorus can take away the pain of a whole province of disappointers.

At the same time, Paul encourages Timothy to imitate Onesiphorus. God’s people are blessed when the merciful—those who show mercy—are many.

Dear Pastor, take a moment to give thanks to God for the Onesiphoruses in your life. Take a moment to ponder these questions: “For whom can I be a Onesiphorus? Do I have a brother in ministry who needs to be refreshed by my words and actions of mercy?”

Paul is so thankful for Onesiphorus’s acts of mercy that he prays twice—once for his household and once for him, that each receives mercy from the Lord. The second time, there is an apparent play on words. Did you find it? εὗρεν and εὑρεῖν. Onesiphorus found Paul in prison when he arrived. That was his expression of mercy. Paul prays that Onesiphorus will find God’s mercy on the day of the Lord Jesus Christ. Onesiphorus will be shown mercy.

Jesus Christ is the epitome of mercy. His life, death, and resurrection are a unified display of the mercy of God toward sinners. Remembering Christ’s mercy, the citizens of his kingdom show mercy to others, especially to other believers, and especially when they are in dire straits.

Jesus showed us mercy in our greatest need. He was not ashamed to carry his cross and all of our sins to the place where they crucified him. That is intentional and eternal mercy. The good news about the Lord Jesus Christ is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe. We will not be ashamed of his gospel or his believers. In view of God’s mercies, we will look for opportunities to be merciful. We also have the hope of future mercy. Jesus promises that the merciful are blessed, for they will be shown mercy when he returns as the Lord of all. For the merciful, that is grace upon grace.

(One translation note: Many translations render the comparative βέλτιον as a superlative: “you know very well.”)

Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, in this passage we see both the fear that turns away from someone in need, and the mercy that seeks them out at real cost. Forgive us for the times shame, self-protection, or convenience has kept us from showing mercy. Thank you for the mercy you continue to show us through our Savior and his people. Make us like Onesiphorus who was willing to seek out and refresh a weary and shackled apostle in his final days; through Christ Jesus, our Lord, who sought us out and found us. Amen.