The Curiosity of Love
2:19 But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition.
One more thing on this verse. Why is Paul so anxious to learn of the condition of the Philippians’ faith? It is because of love. Provoked by rising persecution, they are being troubled by the sinful tendency to dispute with one another. Paul is writing to try to help them over this and into joy and love. He is very curious about what their reaction will be, whether his letter will have the desired effect.
There is a curiosity born of love. It is the curiosity that longs to check up on loved ones to see how they are doing. It is the curiosity that remembers to follow-up when someone asks for prayer for a certain struggle. And indeed, it is the curiosity that moves us to pray for people until we hear a report of how they’re doing.
This curiosity of love was the pattern in Paul’s (Christian) life. When he leaves the newborn church in Thessalonica and soon thereafter hears that persecution has arisen there against them, he can barely function, he is so concerned about their welfare:
"When I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain." (1Thes. 3:5)
After sending Titus back to Corinth to find out how they were reacting to his rather severe letter he turns down an opportunity to preach Christ in order to go meet Titus in Macedonia to get his report:
"Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord, I had no rest for my spirit, not finding Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I went on to Macedonia." (2Cor.2:12-13)
Paul’s curiosity flowed out of his profound love for "the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28). This was oh! so much more than a job for Paul! He was a supreme example of love face to face, but he was also an amazing example of love when separated.
"Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?" (2Cor.11:28-29)
This is amazing love! But the most amazing thing of all is to ponder what all this means about the love of God. Paul’s love is just a imperfect reflection of God’s love. There is One greater than Paul who cares about every hair on our heads.
"I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Eph.3:17-19 NIV)
O God, raise up men who love like Paul! Raise me up to love like Paul. Forgive me, Lord, please forgive me for all my thoughtlessness, my self-centeredness, my forgetfulness of the needs of others, my prayerlessness, and my failure to have the curiosity that is born of love. Fill my heart with an intense concern for the ones You consider precious. Open my eyes to see the value of those who have been purchased at a very high cost: the blood of Your own Son. They are written upon Your heart, may they be written upon mine as well.