Professor Robert Kolb wrote a book about teaching the catechism The cover is a picture of the stained glass window at Concordia Seminaries Chapel of ST. Timothy and ST. Titus. Remember Paul mentored these young men and the window depicted Timothy’s debt to Lois and Eunice who brought him up in the faith.
This is a part of a sermon I wrote on 2 Timothy 2 –
It is impossible to stress too much the importance of those who encourage, mentor, value, and model the faith for all of us, who teach us to, “remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David”. In the chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus is a beautiful stained glass window in honor of Lois and Eunice the grandmother and the mother of Timothy. Paul reminds Timothy of the marvelous faith that was handed down to him by these two strong women. Paul reminds Timothy that he needs to fan into flame the gift that was given to him by the laying on of Paul's own hands when he was ordained. Paul tells Timothy to guard that deposit that he's received in that marvelous gift of God , faith in Jesus Christ which means the forgiveness of sins and life and salvation. “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David”.
When I sat there and looked at that beautiful
stained glass window in honor of those two women of faith I was reminded of the
mentors in my life. My grandmother my grandfather my aunts and my uncle and all
of those who brought us to faith in Jesus Christ and who brought us up in that
faith and nurtured us in the faith. It wasn't all roses, and our life of
faith was not always smooth and easy like an earthworm being dropped gently
into a bowl of whipping cream. Sometimes our life of faith was rocky and
difficult.
I remember the issues and some of the problems that I faced as young pastor and how the people of these congregations mentored me and forgave me. I remember admonitions but I also remember the mutual consolation of the brothers. Because of the power of the Holy Spirit who calls and gathers in enlightens and sanctifies a Christian church on earth you forgive my stupidity and my sinfulness. Because of the gifts of baptism and the Lord supper I had the honor to forgive yours and you received it as you would from Christ himself. It wasn't always words very often it was deeds. The point is that over the years those examples and those mentors showed me that they believed that what we all were “in Christ” was more important than our own special wants and needs and sinful ambitions. What Christ had done by His bleeding and dying was worth more than petty advantage. They were saying to me and we were saying to each other, “remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David”.
Timothy and Titus and all the faithful people who listened to the word of God preached by the apostle Paul paved the way for the coming of Christ to be born in the hearts of countless other people through the preaching of the gospel and the witness of their faith over the years. They mentored and admonished; they counseled and consoled. They suffered and were imprisoned and they gave the ultimate witness of their life testifying to the truth of Jesus Christ risen from the dead, the offspring of David and the Savior of the world. They followed and listened to and taught Paul's gospel which became their gospel, their witness, their faith, and their life. Because of them it's become ours too. “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David”.
