1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 "But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: (8) So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us."
We sometimes think Paul to have been a stern, straightforward man who did not
pull any punches. He spoke from his heart and spoke directly to any
subject. He did this when he was having to rebuke and correct a
congregation. But as we look at this passage, we see he was just as direct in
his declaration of love for a congregation. You can easily see Paul loved
these saints at Thessalonica.
He spoke of his care as being equal to a nurse cherishing her children. The
word, cherish, carries the meaning of a warming feeling of care for another.
One of the definitions for this word is "brood". I felt like I
understood what was being implied, but I went to the Merriam Webster dictionary
to be certain. Yes, it carries the meaning of a hen sitting on an egg
waiting for it to hatch. The hen patiently gives her body heat to the egg
in order for the chick to be healthy and strong when it hatches.
Paul felt this warmth of love and care for the Thessalonians. He was
willing to endure the hardships of travel in order to proclaim the Gospel of
Jesus Christ to them. But he also was willing to give of himself to the people
that he would have warmed them with his very own soul.
God's grace and mercy is wonderful. It is a sweet blessing to be able to preach
in Jesus' name. God is gracious also to promote a bond of love and care when
there is a sweet connection between pastor and congregation. There is
sweetness when mutual care occurs between pastor and congregation.