Torn Away

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Most of you know that my wife and I have been foster parents for these past six years. As such we have witnessed the grief that is caused by children being torn away from their parents. It causes grief for both parent and child. Our goal has always been to try to support the parent as they go this time with the hope of there being a quick reunification with their child. Of course, being the caregivers to their children, our main focus is on the children themselves.
Nearly a year and a half ago we experienced the grief of separation in a similar manner as do parents whose children have been torn away from them by the State. And I can tell you that it is one of the most horrendous things we have ever experienced.
In our passage for this morning, 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20, Paul refers to his untimely departure from Thessalonica to a parent being torn away from his or her children. As we consider this passage we will look at the grief caused by separation, the intense longing for reunification, the adversarial roadblock, and the reason for exuberant joy.
First, let’s read our passage together.
1 Thessalonians 2:17–20 NASB95PARA
But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while—in person, not in spirit—were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and yet Satan hindered us. For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.
Let’s look first at

The Grief Caused by Separation

Look again at verse 17.
1 Thessalonians 2:17 NASB95PARA
But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while—in person, not in spirit—were all the more eager with great desire to see your face.
Note first

The Depth of Grief

Paul returns to the family analogy which he had used earlier. In verse 7 he compared his tender care for the Thessalonian believers to that of a nursing mother caring for her children. In verse 11 he compares his manner of exhorting these beloved family members to that of a father exhorting his children. And now he informs them that he feels like a parent whose children have been forcibly removed from his home.
The term translated taken away or torn away literally means to be orphaned. The picture is of a parent being removed from the home. I’ve witnessed such things in our own county’s probate court. Our practice has been to attend as many of the hearings, which regard the children in our care, as we can. Sometimes that is the only way we can learn about the progress of the case. On more than one occasion the judge has order the removal of one parent from a home so that the other parent can be reunified with their children.
You remember the situation in Thessalonica. Paul and his companions were basically forcefully removed from the city. And to Paul, it felt like a parent being torn away from his children.
It appears that Paul’s critics tried to tell the Thessalonian believers that Paul didn’t really care for them. That his lack of care is evidenced by his abandoning them. But Paul reassured these persecuted believers that he did care for them deeply.
Notice next

The Temporary Nature of Separation

Their separation was not necessarily permanent. Rather it was anticipate to be for a short while.
I’ll never forget our first foster case — most of you will remember the twins and their older sister. The night they came into our home, eyes filled with tears, the older sister brought the girls into her room and told them to cheer up, this was only going to be for a short while — it was only temporary. She told them to think of this as being an extended vacation.
Many of us have been separated from loved ones. It may be due to a divorce agreement which has caused a rift between parent and child. It may be due to geography or logistics (our three natural children all live more than a thousand miles away). Or it may be due to death. If one of our loved ones who is in Christ passes away, then we have the hope of reunification with them one day. This knowledge should motivate us to share the message of the gospel with our loved ones who are currently outside of Christ.
Notice next

The Form of Separation

Paul clarifies that their separation was in person, not in spirit. The term translated spirit in the NASB literally means heart, which most English translations have correctly used. But both renderings give the proper idea. Though we aren’t physically present with a certain loved one, we don’t stop loving them.
A couple of weeks ago, we were on vacation in northern Maine. We traveled there to see our son, his wife, and our brand new granddaughter. (Well, truthfully we went to see our granddaughter, forget about the rest!) Anyway, on Sunday morning we were able to attend the church which had been our home for six years. And that was nice. But I kept finding myself thinking about you guys during that service. I prayed for our brother, Phil Campbell, who was opening the Word in my absence. In person we were separated for a short time, but not in heart!
We’ve been looking at the grief cause by separation. Now let’s consider

The Intense Longing for Reunification

Notice how Paul communicated his intense longing for reunification with his spiritual children, from whom he was torn away:
But we, brethren … were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. For we wanted to come to you — I, Paul, more than once ...

No Visitation Rights

Unlike parents who have had their children ripped away from them by the State (whether legitimately or not — most cases are legitimate) Paul did not have court mandated visitation rights!

Failed Attempts at Visitation

The term translated eager might better be translated endeavored. It was not merely a wish or a whim. They had made an effort to return to Thessalonica, but we unable to do so. One scholar suggested:
1 & 2 Thessalonians (2) Endeavor to Return (vv. 17b–18a)

The comparative force denotes that they endeavored more abundantly to see them than they would have under ordinary conditions.

The Positive Side of Lust

The term translated great desire is most often used in the NT in a negative connotation and translated as lust.
It seems that Paul clarifies that it was not just Timothy who wanted to come and check on their spiritual welfare. Paul wanted to come as well.
In 2018 (I believe that was the year) our son’s first wife left him for another man. Gail and I had a longing to go to him and help support him during this difficult time. But circumstances prevented us from doing so. That seems to be similar to Paul’s situation, except we will see that he did not blame his inability to see the Thessalonians on the circumstances of life.
So far we’ve looked at Paul’s grief over the forced separation from his spiritual children, and his intense longing for reunification with them. Let’s turn our attention now to

The Adversarial Roadblock

Paul summarized the reason for his absence with this one simple phrase: and yet Satan hindered us.

Satan is the Adversary

The name Satan is taken from the Hebrew term for adversary or opponent. Apparently Paul had instructed these believer well enough as to the God of the Hebrews that they understood the term for Satan, since he doesn’t give any explanation of the term.
Satan has been referred to as the accuser of the brethren. This pictures a court setting in which he accuses a believer as being unworthy of God’s forgiveness and grace. But if Satan is the prosecuting attorney, then Jesus is the council for the defense. This is beautifully illustrated in
Zechariah 3:1–4 NASB95PARA
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel. He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.”
Here Satan was accusing the high priest of Israel. And the Jesus — the Angel of the LORD — took up his defense.

Jesus is the Advocate

The Apostle John identified Jesus as our Advocate.
1 John 2:1 ESV
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
Paul does not tell us how Satan managed to hinder him from being reunited with his beloved spiritual children. The term translated hindered was a military term. It pictured an enemy force breaking up a road to make it impassable. Kind of a Bridge on the River Kwai scenario.

The Means of Satan’s Hindrance

Commentators have speculated as to how Satan may have hindered Paul’s return:
Some have suggested it might have been an illness such as the thorn in the flesh which he referred to in 2 Corinthians 12.
Some have suggested that the hindrance was a Satanic influence on the political leaders of Thessalonica.
Some have suggested that the hindrance referred to Jewish vigilance which prevented his return.
Though we don’t know what Paul meant, it is clear that he expected the Thessalonians to understand his reference. Hiebert noted:
1 & 2 Thessalonians (3) Hindrance by Satan (v. 18b)

Paul’s statement makes clear that Satan does have the power to hinder and frustrate the work of Christ’s servants. He is the great adversary who constantly opposes the work of God and disrupts God’s people and their service. But Satan is not omnipotent; he is able to work only within the limits allotted to him by God (Job 1:12; 2:6). Satan may “cut in on us” and prevent us from doing what we feel is best, but the omniscient God allows it for a higher purpose.

Thus far we have looked at Paul’s grief over the forced separation form the Thessalonians, his longing for reunification, and the adversarial roadblock. Let’s look next at

The Reason for Exuberant Joy

Look again at verses 19-20.
1 Thessalonians 2:19–20 NASB95PARA
For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.
Notice that Paul asked

Two Rhetorical Questions

Who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation?
Hope suggests confidence that the work begun in the lives of their converts will increase to full maturity (Phil 1.6)
Philippians 1:6 CSB
I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
This is in reference tot he consummation of hope in the future when believers will stand before the Lord at the Bema Seat
Hope naturally leads to joy (1 Peter 1:8-9)
1 Peter 1:8–9 NASB95PARA
and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.
The final outcome of the Bema Seat will be that the believer receives the Victor’s Crown
Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?

One Answer

Look at verse 20.
1 Thessalonians 2:20 NASB95PARA
For you are our glory and joy.
Paul’s converts are the evidence that he did not run the race in vain.
The emotions of this passage are wide. They run the gambit from grief and loss because of their present separation, to exuberant joy at the thought of what lay ahead for them in the future.

The Bema Seat Judgment

What awaits you in the future? Will you have a standing before the Lord at the Bema Seat Judgment? In order for you to have such a standing you have to belong to Jesus.
In order for you to belong to Jesus you must believe in Him.
You must believe that God truly exists.
You must recognize that you are accountable to Him.
You must understand that you have sinned and rebelled against Him, and that the wages of your sin is spiritual death — eternal separation from God.
You must believe that the Eternal Son of God became man so that He could fulfill God’s righteous requirement.
You must believe that Jesus’ death on the cross paid the penalty for your sin and rebellion against God.
You must believe that Jesus was raised from the dead.
Those who have never embraced these truths will not be found at the Bema Seat Judgment. They will be found at the White Throne Judgment, and they will be declared guilty on all accounts and sentenced to eternity in the Lake of Fire. So if you have never embraced these truths, I beg you to do so today.
All who are believers in Jesus Christ will stand before the Bema Seat. At this time we will be adjudicated for the way in which we have lived out our faith. Have we walked in manner worthy of God? Or have we been under achievers. We will not be judged as to eternal life, for that judgment occured at the cross. But we will be evaluated for our performance. We will be given a grade for our performance.
My hope is that each of us who belong to Christ will be able to say with Paul:
2 Timothy 4:7–8 NASB95PARA
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.
Let’s pray.
Closing Song: #571
Trust and Obey
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