We Missed You

We miss our brethren when we are separated from them, do we not? Often our fellow Christians are traveling out of town for vacation or to see family members, and sometimes they may be gone for several weeks. With individuals and families (whom we love so much) being gone, we carry on with our services; but we cannot pretend that we do not notice they are gone!

Paul missed his brethren who were separated from him in various places, such as in Philippi: “For God is my witness, how I long after you all in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:8 ASV); “Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved” (Philippians 4:1).

Paul also missed Timothy when they were apart: “To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; Greatly desiring to see thee…” (2 Timothy 1:2-4).

We miss each other because we love one another. In the Scriptures, God places paramount importance on love:

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40); “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34, 35); “But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another” (1 Thessalonians 4:9); “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love” (1 John 4:7, 8), etc.

Just as we love one another and miss one another when we are apart for various reasons, God misses those in His family who leave Him. The inspired writers of the Bible told us that it is possible to depart from our Father: “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12). Jesus gave us the parable of the prodigal son as an illustration of a child of God who left the blessings of his Heavenly Father for the world, with the son finally repenting and returning to his loving, merciful Father (Luke 15:11ff). The father of the prodigal son loved his son and missed him greatly while he was gone. When the son finally returned, the father greatly rejoiced and prepared a great celebration:

But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry (Luke 15:22-24).

Jesus taught us that when a person comes back to God it is one of the greatest reasons for rejoicing:

I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth (Luke 15:7-10).

Because of love we miss our brethren when we are apart; the father missed his prodigal son when they were apart; and God misses His children who depart from Him. Is it not wonderful to know that we have a Father in heaven who loves us so much and wants us to stay with Him eternally?

Jason Hilburn