Sunday 8th December 2024 

Theme: A healthy community, a healthy church 

Book: Colossians 4:7-18 

By Dr Isaac MUYONGA 

At the end of the letter written to Colossians there are greetings, recommendations, and descriptions of relationships and here in these verses we’ll find the secrets of a healthy community and church. 

1. A healthy  inter-human relationships: 

The relationships described in this text translate love between people and the Gospel which is converted into actions between human kind but around Jesus Christ.

 It is important to note that they were in a good relationship despite their status and their origins: Jews and Greeks, scholars and illiterates. 

There are 3 pictures in this part: 

>The picture of John-Mark:this is the picture of people we’ve been with but they might have decided to leave; and if they decide to come back, we must receive them: we must forgive and forget. 

> The picture of Demas (2Timothy 4:10) : this one shows what should be our relationships with the persons who are going to leave and abandon the church. It teaches us to love people for what they are and not for what they have or they did. 

> The picture of Onesmas: this is the picture of the kind of relationship we should have with the persons who may have offended or hurt us. A salve and thief is now a brother, that’s the secret of harmony and wellbeing.  

2. A healthy relationship between God and humans: 

Well maintaining a healthy inter-human relationship implies building a healthy relation with God. Ministering to people allows to serve God. For instance Tychicus a beloved brother and faithful minister of Christ; Aristarchus, devoted to Paul in captivity and wait for the Kingdom of Christ. Epaphras a servant of Jesus Christ even while being far from the church; Luke the doctor watching over Paul’s health, he’s also an evangelical pastor. 

3. A healthy church to church relationship: 

The 16th verse shows that churches must be in relation with each other because what God communicates to one church can also be needed to be heard in another one. Here we learn how to avoid pride based on knowledge of God as a church. No matter how scholars or illeterates, rich or poor, we are no different, we are all the Body the Christ, we all need his grace upon us. 

God is warning us against pride and is bringing us to the school of humility, entertaining healthy relationships. For our wellbeing and peace of mind, we need each other as people, as Christian’s, as churches in healthy relationships.