Phil. 2:25-3025Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labor, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants. 26For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick. 27For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. 29Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation: 30Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me. (Philippians 2:25‑30).
THIS is a peculiarly beautiful witness of deep and fresh affection. There is a varied and exquisite play of the heart in it, and one so longs for more of the affectionate nature, that it strikes me as being a passage of great attraction.
Look at it with me, beloved, for a moment. It tells us that Epaphroditus bad visited Paul while a prisoner at Rome, as the messenger of the saints at Philippi. He had brought the apostle supplies for his necessities. (ch. 4:18.)
During that time he had been visited with sickness, and the sickness brought him nigh unto death. The fatigue and anxiety he had undergone, perhaps, or the long journey, and then waiting on Paul in prison, had been the occasion of this. But the Lord restored him, and he was now about to return to Philippi.
The first beautiful exercise of affection here is in the heart of Epaphroditus himself. He longed after his dear Philippian brethren, because he knew they heard he had been sick, and he was fully sure how grieved they would be at the thought of his sickness in a distant place, where, perhaps, there was no one who knew him to care for him. He therefore longed after them, had many anxious exercises of heart about them, knowing that they would be grieved on his behalf. This was a very deep affectionate yearning in his heart.
Thus again see Paul’s heart. He was sending Epaphroditus back to Philippi, though his presence must have been so pleasant and profitable to him, and his joy was this, that the dear Philippian saints would rejoice in seeing Epaphroditus again.
Thus we find a beautiful and deep variety of affection stirring, because of this brother’s illness. The saints at Philippi were sorrowing because of it. Epaphroditus sorrowed because of this their sorrow, for he knew they would feel it. Paul sorrowed, but was willing to forget himself, that the Philippians might rejoice in seeing Epaphroditus again.
But still further. God Himself seems to enter this beautiful scene of affection. He has mercy, i.e. pity or compassion, and restores this loved and sick brother, just that this tide of sorrow might be stayed.
Very full and perfect this is. The heart is all alive here, and all about the sickness of a brother. But surely it tells us something of that goodly land whereto we are tending. There will be no sorrow there to cause the affections to flow; but there will be affections there, to flow at whatever bidding they may receive, and all such bidding will be in the hands, may I say, of purity, and love, and joy. At the touch of such precious things, heaven will be full of affection forever.