2 Timothy 4:1-5: a reflection

1I command you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom: 2preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all patience and teaching. 3For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts, 4and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn away to fables. 5But you be sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill your ministry.

Paul solemnly charges Timothy to preach the word, to be ready in season and out of season; and he warns him of what is coming: The time will come when they will not listen to sound doctrine, but, having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth. People will prefer teachers who tell them what they want to hear, turning from the truth to what merely pleases them. And in the face of that, Paul charges Timothy to hold to and proclaim the truth regardless.

Notice the drift Paul warns of, and the charge he gives against it. The drift is toward itching ears, toward wanting to hear only what pleases us, and gathering teachers who will tell us what we want, turning from the truth to comfortable fables. And the charge against it is to hold to the truth and speak it faithfully, in season and out, whether or not people want to hear it. Timothy was to be governed not by what people wanted to hear, but by the truth, holding to it and proclaiming it even when the drift ran the other way.

That warning and charge are worth taking to heart, for the pull toward itching ears is in us too. We can prefer to hear only what pleases us, to gather voices that tell us what we want, and to turn from truths that are uncomfortable; and we can drift, with the times, from sound truth to comfortable fables. But we are called, like Timothy, to hold to the truth even when it does not please, rather than surrendering to itching ears. Do not let yourself be governed by the desire to hear only what pleases you, gathering voices that tell you what you want and turning from uncomfortable truth; hold to the truth, even when it is not what you would prefer to hear. Resist the drift toward itching ears, both in what you seek to hear and in what you speak, holding firmly to sound truth as Paul charged Timothy, rather than turning, with the times, from the truth to what merely pleases.

Lord, Paul solemnly charges Timothy to preach the word, to be ready in season and out of season; and he warns him of what is coming: the time will come when they will not listen to sound doctrine, but, having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth. People will prefer teachers who tell them what they want to hear, turning from the truth to what merely pleases them. And in the face of that, Paul charges Timothy to hold to and proclaim the truth regardless. Show me the drift Paul warns of, and the charge he gives against it. The drift is toward itching ears, toward wanting to hear only what pleases us, and gathering teachers who will tell us what we want. And the charge against it is to hold to the truth and speak it faithfully, whether or not people want to hear it. Timothy was to be governed not by what people wanted to hear, but by the truth. Take that warning and charge to my heart, for the pull toward itching ears is in me too. I can prefer to hear only what pleases me, to gather voices that tell me what I want, and to turn from truths that are uncomfortable. But I am called, like Timothy, to hold to the truth even when it does not please. Keep me from being governed by the desire to hear only what pleases me, gathering voices that tell me what I want and turning from uncomfortable truth; help me hold to the truth, Lord, even when it is not what I would prefer to hear. Help me resist the drift toward itching ears, both in what I seek to hear and in what I speak.