“Pressing business”

By Rev. Michael Stonhouse

Meditation – Saturday, May 10, 2025

3 John - Forward, p. 12) CEV p. 1291

So, what can this very short, very private and personal letter from the ancient past say to us today? Is there any issues or advice raised here that also apply to us? These are some very pertinent questions.

In this short letter there are just four people mentioned by name. The sender, an elder or church leader, is presumably John the apostle, given the ascription normally given to it. From other information available to us, we know that he was the only one of the Twelve who remained to old age, residing in Ephesus in what is now Turkey, until his death. Ephesus was a strategic centre for the gospel, and John, a well-known and respected purveyor of it, so his advice would have been generally well received and valued.

The second individual mentioned, Gaius, appears to the leader of a local church, possibly in Pergamum (if early traditions are anything to go on). He comes highly recommended by John, principally because of his generous hospitality and his love for all the saints. Where this was especially crucial was in the case of travelling missionaries. Public accommodations, such as the caravansary or inn where Jesus’ parents might have stayed for a time in Bethlehem, were notoriously unsafe and disreputable. Not only were they the haunt of low-life folks human wise, they were also the dwelling place of various nasty creatures such as bedbugs. Private homes were always a preferable option for these missionaries and hospitality was therefore seen as a sacred duty.

The third person mentioned in this short letter was Diotrephes, who comes across as the polar opposite of Gaius. Not only, does he refuse to welcome and accommodate his fellow Christians as missionaries, but he even bars or kicks out of the church anyone else who does. Interestingly, he is described here as someone who ‘likes to be the number one leader’,

as one who is not above attacking John’s character and leadership with gossip, lying, and suppressing John’s letter and authority. He is like the petty dictators far too often found in positions of leadership in the church, who like to consider themselves indispensable and who like to pad their own reputation and power at the expense of the entire church and its outreach.

And finally, there is Demetrius, of which we know frustratingly little. However, he would appear to be John’s trusted messenger, someone of whom everyone is able to speak quite glowingly—as does John himself. And certainly that says a great deal about him. Certainly the church can use more of such unsung and relatively unknown heroes as him, folks that are simply happy to go about carrying out their work on behalf of Christ and His beloved church and are faithful in doing so.

So here we have a brief, encapsulated glimpse at the early church, and of ours as well. We have pressing, crucial business to attend to, and so we need the likes of John, Gaius, and Demetrius to further it, and less of the power-hungry, obstructionist sort as Diotrephes. May we, all of us, choose to be the first sort and work with them, and not this last fellow. Amen.

Forward notes: “The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth” (verse 1).

“I am the person and the follower of Jesus that I am today because I was mentored in the faith. At each stage of my life, I have had mentors who have shown me what it is to be a faithful priest, a faithful spouse, and, most importantly, a faithful disciple of Jesus.

“One of my earliest mentors in the faith was my grandmother, Margaret. She encouraged me to read the Bible and would talk with me about Scripture and the way in which she and my grandfather lived out their lives as disciples. I was introduced to healing ministry through her participation in an ecumenical order devoted to bringing the healing message of Jesus to a world in need. In things both great and small, she modeled a quiet yet

forceful life lived in response to the resurrection of our Lord. I am a disciple because I was shown the way to follow Jesus in gentle love.”

Moving Forward: “Who are the mentors in your life who have shaped your faith? To whom are you a mentor and guide?”