Second Timothy was written near the end of Paul’s life, and in a lot of ways it is a really sad book. Paul talks about people abandoning him, one of them was Demas. The Bible doesn’t tell us a lot about this man, but Paul does write, “…Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.” (2 Timothy 4:10) I wrote this poem imagining what Paul must have felt as he pleaded with Demas not to leave.
Don’t do this Demas, I plead with you,
I know right now it feels like the right thing to do.
But it really isn’t, please come back,
A wolf is killed if he leaves the pack.
This present world, with all of its lust
Will fade away, you must in Jesus trust.
If I’ve told Timothy once, I’ve told you twice,
This craving, this desire, is Satan’s device
To rob you of power, to make you not brave
To tie a rope around your ankles and drag you to your grave.
Even a bird has to be forced into its box,
But you are determined, have chosen, to be slaughtered like an ox.
But even an ox has some sense, at least it pulls away,
But not you, are you even listening to what I say?
You are a soldier, Demas, remember the dream,
Remember your tears when you joined our team.
Remember when your treasure was Christ alone?
You scorned riches, you gave away everything you owned.
You were fighting the fight, you were running the race,
You are my son, do you not see the tears on my face?
I taught you the prophets, Amos and Micah,
I beg you child, don’t go to Thessalonica.
We will help you come back, you don’t have to do this,
If you don’t repent like Peter, you will hang like Judas.
So I pray that the Lord will help you realize
That the truest reality is not seen with your eyes.
That the visible is beautiful, but bitterly brief,
And those who gamble on it will always win grief.
So Demas my child, choose who you will serve today,
Walk with Christ, or walk away.
December 2, 2017
Another Small Stone 