And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” (Colossians 4:17 ESV)
Work and Hope
The worst thing about mowing the lawn is that the job is never done. The moment the lawn mower is on the way back to the garage, the grass is already growing. Other important jobs also seem to stretch before us. When will our children be all grown up and not need us anymore? When can we hang up our evangelism hat? Will we become God-trusters? Will we see more of the Kingdom before our eyes?
These kinds of tasks stretch even farther than our lawns, it seems.
But Archippus gives me hope. This man, only mentioned in this verse and in Philemon 2, was commanded by God to finish His work. And God is not the kind of boss who would give us a command that was impossible to fulfill. Archippus was going to be able to finish his task.
Archippus is not the best example of this hope. Jesus Himself, our role model, our example, our path-maker, also has a job that He brings to completion. (Philippians 1:6) We get to imitate Him.
When the job seems too long, remember that He finishes first. When our checklists of Godly duties seem to be more list than check, remember that He finishes first. When our eyes open in the morning already beset by fatigue, remember that He finishes first.
Archippus reminds of Jesus and the work HE completes.
Take the hope God grants us.