Be commendable. An LWMS Devotion - Romans 16:1-2

It has been said, “Behind every great man… is an even greater woman.”  (I thought ya’ll might know that one.)

Scripture is full of great men.  In the new testament few were greater than saint Paul, though he himself would be uncomfortable with me saying that.  Paul viewed himself as the “least of the disciples”[1].  However, God did extraordinary great things through saint Paul.  We know that Paul went on at least four missionary journeys.  I am not saying being a missionary today is easy, but I think our missionaries would agree they have it easy compared to Paul.  Paul describes what it was like to be a missionary back in his day.  Paul writes, “25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.”[2]  Despite the difficulty of being a 1st century missionary, it is estimated that Paul started more than a dozen churches.  Across the Mediterranean there were likely thousands of people who came to know Jesus as their savior through Paul.  Further, through the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul wrote 13 books of the Bible, which by the preservation of the Holy Spirit are still being read by people to this very day.  It is impossible to quantify how many people today have come to know Jesus as their savior through Paul, but I don’t think it is absurd to say the number is in the millions if not billions.

Paul was a great man and standing behind him was a woman named Phoebe.  Paul tells us everything we need to know about Phoebe. First and foremost, this was a woman of faith.  Paul refers to her as “our sister”.  Pheobe had come to know Jesus as her savior and was, by the working of the Holy Spirit, a child of God.  Pheobe called upon her God in the day of trouble, she trusted in Him, she prayed to Him, praised Him, and gave Him thanks.  Further this woman was a servant of the people.  Paul called her “a servant of the church in Cenchrea”.  How exactly Phoebe served we do not know but it seems as though it was similar to those who were appointed various administrative tasks so that the disciples could focus more of their time on preaching and teaching the gospel.  It seems Phoebe served side by side with her pastor likely focusing on the physical needs of the people so her pastor could focus on their spiritual needs.  Finally, this woman was a help to her pastor.  Paul said, “she has been a great help to many people, including me.”  The help Pheobe gave her pastor could have been mental, emotional, spiritual, physical, or financial, it could have been all the above.  I can tell you from personal experience pastors need as much help as everyone else with all of these things.  We don’t know exactly what Phoebe did, but whatever she did her pastor found it helpful.

Pheobe was a woman of faith, a servant of the people, and a helper to her pastor.  Phoebe was a commendable servant.  Are you?  I think most people would look at you ladies and say, “they look like commendable women to me; after all they are giving up a Saturday to listen to a missionary couple talk about mission work and some of them drove a long way here just to do it.”  But what would you say?  You know your heart better than anyone.  Would you say you were a faithful woman who has no doctrinal doubts and is completely free from worldly worries?  Would you say that you are a servant of the people who has never harbored a resentment for or complained about those who don’t do as much around the church as you do?  Would you say you are always happy and eager to help your pastor or do guilt and obligation compel you?  You know you better than anyone else knows you.  Would you say you are a commendable servant, like Pheobe?

Before you answer that question, I should point out that Paul did not commend Phoebe because she was perfect.  Phoebe was a sinner just like me, just like you. Phoebe did believe but just like every other sinner she struggled with unbelief.  Phoebe served her fellow believers but I’m guessing just like every other sinner sometime she wanted to smack her fellow believers upside the back of their heads.  Pheobe helped her pastor, but her pastor was also a sinner so sometimes I imagine she helped her pastor out of obligation and guilt. Paul did not commend Phoebe because she was perfect.  Paul commended Phoebe because she was a sinner who had been forgiven by her savior and was now compelled to service.   Pheobe knew Jesus had forgiven her for her spiritual doubts, forgiven her for her frustrations with her fellow believers, and forgiven her for the obligatory help she gave her pastor.  Phoebe knew her savior had forgiven her and her gratitude for that forgiveness compelled Phoebe to service.  So, Phoebe focused on her faith, served her fellow believers, and helped her pastor.   

Paul commended Phoebe because she was a sinner who had been forgiven by her Savior and was now compelled to service.  Does that sound more like you?  I think it does.  You are not perfect.  You know it, I know it, God knows it.  You have a savior who has forgiven you.  You know it, I know it, God knows that too.  Out of gratitude to God you are compelled to service, which is why you do what you do, and it is why you are here today.

Today I have the distinct privilege of standing before a room full of Phoebes.  I hope that you never feel overlooked or forgotten, unappreciated or taken for granted, but I fear that sometimes you do.  I fear that I and my fellow pastors have failed to let you know just how commendable you women are.  I could offer excuses for my people and try to explain our behavior but instead I think I’ll just say on behalf of myself and my fellow pastors, “we’re sorry”.  We are sorry that we don’t give you the commendations that you deserve.  Please forgive us.  Please continue to stand behind us as women of faith, servants of the people, and pastoral helpers.  Without women like you standing behind men like us not a single one of us has a chance of doing anything remotely close to great… But with you, with you women of faith standing behind us, with you servants of the people standing alongside us, with your help, God through us just might do something great.  Behind every great man stands an even greater woman.  Ladies that woman is you.

May God bless your time together, may you be encouraged by one another, then may you go back to your respective congregations and continue to be commendable servants.  Listen now as I read Romans 16:1-2.

[1] 1 Corinthians 15:9

[2] 2 Co 11:25–27