Colossians 4:2-6: Ready

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Introduction
As with Paul’s other letters, the last portion of the letter focuses on personal news (vs. 2-6), recommendation of those who were carrying the letters (vs. 7-8) and greetings to members of the church from those who are with Paul (vs. 10-18). In many ways, this section is a match with the beginning of chapter 1.

In chapter 1, we see Paul’s greeting. In chapter 4:18, we see Paul’s handwritten greeting.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God… - Colossians 1:1a

I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. – Colossians 4:18

In chapter 1, we see the greeting from Paul’s companions. In chapter 4, we see an extended greeting from Paul’s other companions. For example:

and Timothy our brother, - Colossians 1:1b

My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. – Colossians 4:10a

Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me. – Colossians 4:11

. – Colossians 4:12

Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings

Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings. – Colossians 4:14

This kind book-ending, where you have topic 1 and then topic 2 and then topic 3 and then back to topic 2 and then go back to topic 1 is called chiasm. In this chiastic structure, the most important topic is placed in the middle. In Colossians, this falls on Chapter 3:1 where it talks about setting your mind on things above, right between his practical advice on religious life and his practical advice on relationships. You can see this similar sort of structure in many Psalms. This is why we sometimes get confused when reading them and why outlining them sometimes makes no sense, because they aren’t written Thesis Statement, Supporting Statement A, Supporting Statement B, then C, then Conclusion. They are written Thought A, Thought B, Really Important Point C, Back to Thought B, and then wind down with Thought A and maybe a little tag at the end. And it isn’t always 100%. Drives OCD Bible scholars nuts.

Now as we come to verses 2-6, we see Paul encourage us:

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Now, sneak back to chapter 1 again:

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you… - Colossians 1:9

You see, Paul is working his way out from his central theme, back to the theme of prayer that he started the book with. Paul and his fellow workers (“we”) were praying continuously for the Colossians and now he asks them to pray.

If there is one word that characterizes these verses, it is readiness. Be ready. God is on the move. Wouldn’t it be a shame if we missed the movement of God; if it just passed us by without our notice? Or if we saw the movement of God and decide not to join him? One of the few times where Jesus was moved to years is recorded in the book of Luke:

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he [Jesus] wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes…because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." – Luke 19:41,42,44b

God is not passive. He is not some senile old man in the sky who once in a while gets his act together. And while his character is predictable, his methods are not. He continually is able to surprise us with his creativity and inventiveness. With a God on the move, we who are his servants can only stand on tiptoes, looking for what he will do next.

This past weekend we picked up a man who lived in a tent on a 2 acre parcel in the lovely town of Snake Pit California. He struggled to stay awake each night, because as soon as he would sleep, someone has been stealing stuff from his tent: Pillsbury biscuits, soup, his driver’s license. He couldn’t sleep because of fear of theft. For us, what would life be life if we wouldn’t sleep, not because of fear, but because we were afraid we would miss something that God was doing?

Paul gives us three areas:

1. Be Ready To Pray
2. Be Ready To Speak
3. Be Ready To Answer

Be Ready To Pray

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. – Colossians 4:2

If God is moving, then we must be ready to act when He is on the move. That readiness is cultivated by the habit of prayer. Notice how Paul couples “prayer” with “watchful”-ness and “thankful”-ness. To be watchful is to look forward with expectation. Our hope is in heaven, so what is heaven up to? Prayer is the key to getting on God’s channel; tuning into God’s station; syncing with his agenda. When you read an Agatha Christie novel, or watch one of her great detectives like Hercules Poirot or Miss Marple, you know that they have a knack for noticing the details and understanding which are significant and which are not. In one story, Poirot discusses his methods. In order to get the “little gray cells” working he must have just the right setting: lighting, tea, sitting position; lack of interruptions. For the follower of Jesus, prayer is the method. With it God helps us notice details and discern what is significant and what is just static.

We also pray thankfully. Thankfulness is the 20-20 hindsight version of watchfulness; watching carefully behind us to see how God has marvelously worked. Someone has once said that a mystery novel starts at the wrong place; that all of the interesting bits--all the passion and stress and action--have already happened in the past; that the detective is piecing together the amazing drama of the past. That is praying with thankfulness. Detailing God’s work yesterday gives us perspective for today.

Sometimes God is moving, but we don’t see it.

The journals of Mother Theresa reveal a woman who was on fire from a young age, whose very call to ministry was from Christ. But then, except for a brief period in 1959, she confessed repeatedly of being lonely and struggled with the sense of God’s absence until she died.

When Jesus was brought to the temple as a baby, they met Simeon, an old man, who had received a word from God: that he would see the hope of Israel before he died. He heard just this one word from God and then had a lifetime of waiting, in a nation which had not heard from God in over 400 years.

That is why Peter wrote:

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. – 2 Peter 3:9

Many of Jesus’ parables are of the absent master who comes back and finds servants or his bride in various states of readiness. Some live like he is going to be around soon. Some have lived like he is in permanent holiday. That is why Paul instructs us to “devote yourselves to prayer” That word “devote” is actually an adverb: pray devotedly or, stickily. The same word is used in Mark 3:9, where it says:

And He told His disciples that a boat should stand ready for Him because of the crowd, so that they would not crowd Him; - Mark 3:9 (NAS)

That phrase “stand ready” is the same word. It has the idea of faithfulness or keeping it close by.

First, we are ready, when we pray, because it allows us to see God at work. Second, because God is always at work, we need to be ready to proclaim when he gives us the opportunity.

Be Ready To Speak
The second place where Paul wants to be ready is in speaking.

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. – Colossians 4:3-4

When Helen and I go walking in the morning, there are two kinds of dogs: there are those that just lazily watch you as you go by and then there are those who are testing the length of their leash. When Paul is asking to pray that the door may be open for the message, he means that literally. How frustrating it must have been for Paul to be at the end of a chain. We know from the 1st chapter of Philippians that Paul wished he could be out doing the work of proclaiming.

So Paul is staring at his prison door, waiting for a crack, so that the message can go out. He wants to be ready. The word for “proclaim” here is just the normal word for speaking to someone. But the context here is someone who initiates; who puts forth the word first.

The second aspect of Paul’s request for prayer is that he would speak clearly. Wouldn’t it be a shame for you get to get your golden opportunity to insert a word and to bungle it because no one could understand what you said? Holding up signs saying John 3:16 doesn’t mean much to a generation that has never cracked open a Bible. Holding up a cross means little if people think it resembles a cute piece of jewelry. Sometimes we try to just toss out the gospel in a form that we can understand and hope against hope that someone else will figure it out. But the responsibility for communication lies with the communicator, not the listener. This was a great lesson from God himself, when, in order to communicate himself, sent Jesus as a man.

Be Ready To Answer
The third place where Paul wants to be ready is in answering. While speaking is active, answering is reactive.

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. – Colossians 4:5-6

Life happens. In the grocery store, in the hospital, on an airplane, on the soccer field, in an office, God presents countless opportunities. And God encourages you: make the most of every opportunity. Not every chance is special, but when the special chance does come we have to be ready.

And your opportunities are squandered if you can’t talk in a winning, life-changing way. The way you talk earns you the right to be heard. When we were in Turkey, the workers there told us, “You can say anything to someone with a smile on your face.” And this phrase “full of grace” is referring to a winning, generous way of speaking, not stingy in praise or love.

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ… - Ephesians 4:15a

But it is not enough to win favor. Whether in religion or in politics, there are plenty of people who will tell you what you want to hear.

…but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires – 2 Timothy 4:3b

And there are plenty to people who speak in clichés. But the difference between friends and friendly can drive you to your knees. In order to be ready, the few moments, the few words need to count. That’s why the Bible says our conversation needs to be “seasoned with salt” It needs to make a difference in the moments we have.

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. – Matthew 5:13

It is not enough for people to hear the truth, they must hear that we care. Don’t tell them Jesus loves them until we’re ready to love them too.

Conclusion
How to answer everyone.

``I certainly have not the talent which some people possess,'' said Darcy, ``of conversing easily with those I have never seen before. I cannot catch their tone of conversation, or appear interested in their concerns, as I often see done.''

``My fingers,'' said Elizabeth, ``do not move over this instrument in the masterly manner which I see so many women's do. They have not the same force or rapidity, and do not produce the same expression. But then I have always supposed it to be my own fault -- because I would not take the trouble of practising.

I am not very good at being ready. I tend to drift along with whatever is happening, trying to keep my head above water. Life seems moment-by-moment and my mind is focused on the momentary and not the eternal. But even in those moments, Paul enourages us to pray, to speak and to answer.