Brother Demas, Where Art Thou?

Brother Demas, Where Art Thou?

“Be diligent to come to me quickly, for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica.” 2 Timothy 4:10

“Having loved the present world.” It doesn’t really sound that bad. You could take a walk with this statement and say that they are a great many things in the present world that are worthy of love. I can give a list of earthly things, right off the top of my head, that are worthy of my love. My wife, my children, a steak done just right and a good cup of Starbucks coffee are just a few. But when Paul penned this statement down he did not have these worldly things in mind. Demas just up and bolted out of Rome and headed for Thessalonica while Paul was preparing for a date with an executioners axe.

Now to be fair, Demas wasn’t the only one who left. Crescens had gone to Galatia, Titus went to Dalmatia but Paul does not write that these men had forsaken him, only Demas gets that denoted to him for the rest of Biblical history. I tried real hard to find something else written about Demas in all the resources I have at my disposal. I even paged through the “Complete Works of Flavius Josephus” to see if there was something more historical to the man than what Paul described of him. But like Yukon Cornelius, I toss my pick ax in the air and pull it from the snow….”Nothin’!!”

I feel bad for Demas. He couldn’t take the heat and he got out of the kitchen. Paul was being poured out as a drink offering for keeping the faith and Demas must have not wanted to go the distance that should call all of us heavenward in Christ Jesus. But I feel bad for myself in the role of being like Demas. I, too, am guilty of being weary of going that kind of distance. We are told there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for their brother or sister (I know the ladies are reading this as well) but aren’t we selective on who we are willing to do this for?

There were other moments when Demas got an honorable mention. He is acknowledged, ahead of Luke, as a fellow laborer in Philemon, gives a greeting in Colossians but nothing compares to, “for Demas has forsaken me”. Forsaken is a strong word to describe the action that Demas took against Paul. I guess the other two at least told Paul they were leaving. But it sounds like Demas turned his back on Paul. This had to hurt “The Way” during a time when the Roman Empire could have used a better way. History tells the ugly tale of “The Roman Empire” doesn’t it?

So do we want to be part of the ugly tale? Do we want to clothe ourselves in “Demas” when the going gets tough? I guess it might be ok if the thought just crosses our minds but Jesus gives us strength to overcome the moment, if we diligently seek Him when we know, outright, that we are having a weak moment. I pray that this day we see it to the end. -- Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a frequent contributor to Freedom Fighter

God's WORD for YOU: Proverbs 10; Isaiah 34-36; Colossians 2

Great Quote: “In addition to hurting himself, Demas did great damage to the cause of Christ. In abandoning it, he deprived it of a devoted worker and robbed it of all the good he might have accomplished had he remained faithful. We can only wonder how many lives he could have helped if he had stayed loyal to the Lord.” A Costly Love Affair -- Gene Taylor