Colossians 2:1

Though Paul had not met them, he felt a responsibility for them. 

God wanted Gentiles (non-Jews) to know that they are his also and not just as an afterthought, but that Christ died for them as for anyone else. 

Paul did not only experience physical struggles, as he mentioned his sufferings for the gospel's sake; he also wished the limits of space would be removed so that he could impact them with the truth God had sent him. 

That sense of urgency drove Paul to teach from house to house, day and night, putting all his vigor into the work in Ephesus (Acts 20:20).

He had one lifetime to live, and he had to spread the message of the truth, the divine revelation of God's thoughts regarding His Son and us. Then, the writings come in handy, and we benefit from them thousands of years later. Paul wanted to do his best and tried to convey his heart in this verse under focus. The fire for the mission burnt him, and he had no choice.

It was true what Jesus said: he who is forgiven much loves much (Luke 7:40-47).

Paul was a man who was a persecutor, and rather than being thrown into hell for his shenanigans, he was given a new lease of life and put in charge of ensuring that everyone knew about Christ. He could not waste a moment and thrust himself into that work, going headlong into a life of persecution and near-death experiences, but he was full of joy because he knew he had the best job in the world, going on a mission for Christ himself, making everyone know he died for them and that he is alive and is coming back. He set up church after church.

He became the bridge between the cross and the continents of the earth via his pen, passion, and pursuit.

I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you

Here, Paul was sharing his heart. He was not aloof or thought that his feelings should be shielded from others.

He shared his struggles and did not bottle them up. 

Who does that? What spiritual leader does that, rather than put on an air of I am as cool as a cucumber and have no struggle? That’s a lesson.

But let's not forget that the main focus is still Christ, not a sob story, and not Paul as an end in himself or glorifying himself. 

That struggle was not for his pocket or fame; he knows God has called him on a mission to reach many people, so he has a lot on his plate. Specifically, he feels responsible for the Gentile churches because he is a designated apostle to them (Romans 11:13). Yes, there was a lot of work to do, and he had much to communicate to many people.

The letter's recipients have not seen his face, and he has not seen theirs. But why was seeing his face important?

The face adds something to communication we would miss without it, whatever you want to communicate. The book of Hebrews says we should not abandon our meetings (Hebrews 10:25). Paul, in another place, said he wanted to see a church to impart spiritual gifts to them to strengthen them and aid their spiritual establishment (Romans 1:11). He said seeing them would a means of being mutually comforted by one another’s faith. It would seem that he could not do that by letter writing. The writing seems to be a second-best option.

and for those in Laodicean

Colossi and Laodicea are about 12 miles apart. But they are still distinct, and Paul treated them as distinct.

There are Christian groups in both places. Paul did not stay in one place and expected the Christians to come so they could see his face, disrupting the people’s rhythm of life and commercial engagement. 

But he felt that he should go to the people, that he should be inconvenienced by the travels rather than the people. He was their servant in that sense, which is good. We can clearly see the impact of Paul’s servanthood. We know his name thousands of years later.

When he wrote to the Corinthians church (2 Corinthians 12:15), Paul said he would gladly spend and be spent on their behalf. People were pushing against his authority, and he had to push back because he understood that he bears the truth and anyone who opposed him was wrong because of the revelation he uniquely bears. 

Colossians, Laodiceans, and those who have not seen him face to face include us. He has a great struggle for us who have not met him face to face. In that struggle, he communicates in words that we read today.