The Apostle Paul as Caregiver. On Being a GrandFam today

The Apostle Paul as Grandfam. Paul’s care for Tim & Titus

Catch: What is a Grandfam. No, not a baseball homerun when the bases are loaded! Today on Helping Mom we look at the Apostle’s Paul’s great care for 2 young men & pastors.

In America today 10% of children live with a grandparent (10M). This is due to drugs, addiction, alcholism, prison, abuse, neglect & death. Another 10% (10M more) are informally raised by grandparents. I know, this was me. According to statistics, 50% of children raised by grandparents are under 6yoa, most at or below poverty level. Many school districts today don’t even use the word “parent” but “guardian” when discussing students. For 1 year, I taught in a Title 1 public school where it seemed 1/3 of kids have no parental involvement. 

The Apostle Paul was a spiritual grandfather. And just as GrandFams today face economic, emotional and financial stresses to raise a skipped generation, so, too, did Paul. Yet Paul fulfilled the Caregiver Creed--to set up those in his care to succeed. This is what it means to caregive--to set up our care receiver to enjoy the best quality of life we can at this time. 

Paul’s caregiving was spiritual, not natural. He cared for a bastard Jew, born of scandalous mixed-marriage of Jewish mother and non-Jewish dad. And for a Roman gentle, about whom nothing is recorded until after he joins Paul in actual ministry. 

These young men became of all things pastors, though in radically different places. They never appear together in scripture. There is no mention they ever met. Neither qualified for roles given. 

Titus. Paul put Titus in worst place possible to be pastor. He was young. The best Paul could do was write him 1 letter. Before then Paul had been taking Titus’ measure (favorite quote here by Mardsden, “Make every occasion a great occasion, for you never know when God may be taking your measure for a larger place.” Jesus said, “To whom much is given, of the same much is expected.” And, “he who is faithful in little will be faithful in much.” Titus as faithful in everything Paul asked him to do. First, to carry a harsh letter Paul had written to a messed up church in city of Corinth. Then he used Titus to collect money from gentile Christians to take with him on journey to Jerusalem to help Jewish Christians suffering poverty. Then Paul took Titus to Jerusalem to attend very important leadership meeting on church doctrines. Finally, Paul gave Titus the worst job in world--to be a pastor and create a church that pleased God, on the awful, lying floating island rock of sin—called Crete.

Titus was a task-oriented How-to…Type A Doer. He would have been a great soldier. AccompLish the Mission; Take care of your People. 

Timothy on other hand, was a mamzer, whose mother and grandmother Paul knew, who were 2 biggest influences in Tim’s life growing up in painfully small town in middle of nowhere called Lystra. Timothy had no dad, was insecure, so Paul did a lot to build up the psyche of Timothy before putting him as most important, largest church in early Christianity--the church at Ephesus. Ephesus was huge, mostly Gentile, big-city folk, with international outreach, and many languages spoken inside. 

Timothy is Greek name; Timothy is a Mamser. Could only marry slave or fellow mamser. Stigma passed on till 10th generation! 

 A Bastard. A mumzer was prohibited from being circumcised, entering temple, he could never worship with Jews, and absolutely he would never have any right to participate in any formal matter concerning religion. So consider here when Paul circumcises Timothy, he is violating the law. Mom was not allowed to be circumcised. It was from Lystra- a small town in plan in middle of nowhere.