I’m sure you’ve read Philemon in one sitting. If you haven’t, you might want to consider spending a more consistent amount of time in the word because it is literally one chapter. Today, I want to focus on Paul’s plea for Philemon’s slave, Onesimus.
Imagine back in Paul’s time a man has a slave and said slave runs away. This slave helped with the harvesting, but now that he’s gone, the owner has to find another slave to do it and go look for the one that ran away.
When the man finally finds the slave, he takes him back home, beats him, and takes away his few privileges he had. During that time period, that didn’t seem unreasonable, maybe even gracious to some. But Paul asks something else of Philemon when he sends his slave back to him.
Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary. Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.
So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.
Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
New International Version
Paul asks Philemon to show grace to his slave, just as Christ showed grace to him. We don’t deserve to be freed from our sins. God graciously forgave us and withheld the punishment we deserved.
How does this apply to you? You’re thinking, “I don’t have a slave. What does this matter to me?” Right, you don’t have a slave, but consider this, what if Onesimus wasn’t a slave. What if he were your next door neighbor who called you mean names last week. That neighbor that you were not too long ago thinking about muttering a mean name about.
Ok, far fetched, I get it, but just run with me. Instead of muttering mean remarks, or even speaking them to someone else, you should show them the grace that God has showed you. Forgive them and try to mend the relationship between the two of you.
Here is another example for younger readers: What if Onesimus were that kid you were paired with in science class. You were supposed to do a project together and the other kid didn’t put much effort into it. You were planning on spreading a mean rumor about how lazy that kid was. Before the first juicy rumor could get out, that kid came up to you and apologized for not putting much effort into the project. They explained that their parents were going through a divorce at the time and admit that it was no excuse for not pitching in.
What do you think you should do? Even if the kid hadn’t come up to you and apologized, you should show the kid grace. Are you catching onto the idea? We don’t deserve it, yet we receive it. They don’t deserve it, but we should give it.
Who doesn’t deserve grace from you right now? What are you going to do? Demonstrate your relationship with Jesus through grace and forgiveness? Or act like the world?
