Suck it Up, Buttercup

 Read Titus 2

The paths of Paul and Titus crossed more than once, though I don’t think he traveled with Paul but for some short parts of Paul’s third missionary journey.

Paul sent Titus to Corinth on more than one occasion, so he knew he could trust Titus for independent assignments. Paul knew he could trust Titus on the most difficult of assignments.

It’s sort of the you did well with a few things, now I will put you in charge of many things sort of assignment. 

Paul had trusted Titus with business in Corinth, a congregation that surely had plenty of pagan practices, ungodly lifestyles, and a whole swing and a miss on this love business.  Titus had done well with those knuckleheads. He might be the best qualified to deal with those Cretans.

In any case, Paul sent Titus to Crete to finish the work that had begun there. It was far from finished. This was the early to mid-sixties. The temple had not yet been destroyed.

Paul was likely writing from mainland Greece, perhaps from Athens or Corinth. And what did Paul have to say to Titus?

Gentlemen, this is a football.

In 1961 the Green Bay Packers had begun their training camp. Vince Lombardi stood before his players and said: “Gentlemen, this is a football.”

The all-pro wide receiver Max McGee responded, “Could you take it a little slower, coach?”

The thing about Lombardi is that he always began with the basics, even if you were already champions.

Paul is telling Titus that he has to start with the basics. These guys didn’t ever have the law and not much of a moral compass from their culture and genealogy.

Titus, you have to teach men how to be men, conscious of their conduct and aware that they are examples to the younger men.

You have to teach wives to be faithful wives and good mothers. They too must set an example.

Together, the adults—parents—are to bring up their children in the way they should go. Vince Lombardi started with a blank slate each season.

Paul told Titus that some cultural history here will be tough to overcome. Start with the basics.

I have given you this seemingly impossible task, but with God, all things are possible, even ministry to a bunch of Cretans.

In the next service, I will look at how our Western society behaves like a bunch of Cretans than we might want to admit, but for now let’s examine Paul’s specific instructions.

You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.

Once this is done, you will have laid the groundwork for raising children. The man must be the head of the household but he is not the boss. He should lead his family to God and to godly living.

Both husband and wife are to be an example to their children and bring them up in the way they should go.

Paul told Titus, when the going gets tough, get back to basics.

Amen.