Day 4: GRACE: The Cost is REAL (Philemon)
Today’s Passage: Philemon verses 8-22
People tell me I can be too serious.
Recently I was at a dinner and people were asking me about the countries I travel to for work. I jet to faraway places like China, India, Indonesia, and more.
It sounds exciting. It is.
However, when asked about those places, I most often speak of Jesus’ followers. I describe two aspects of them which time-and-again strike me: they are full of joy and they are at risk of imprisonment or worse.
It’s that bit about jail, beatings, and death where I notice that perhaps I have gone too far.
I have observed people’s reactions time and again. One friend said to me, “David, you tend to be too serious.”
Probably, but I wonder what Onesimus and Philemon would say to me?
Today let’s consider Philemon’s predicament.
First, a word of caution. By saying Philemon’s in a predicament, I am in no way justifying slavery. I will be pointing out two diametrically opposed positions that he stands in between: his society’s acceptance of slavery and his new-found Way, this Christianity.
Paul is asking Philemon for three actions of GRACE.
First, accept Onesimus back without punishment. Second, perhaps Philemon will send him back to Paul. Third, in sending him back, maybe Philemon will grant Onesimus his freedom.
Seems straightforward enough. Yet, what about Philemon’s world? In the first century Roman world, Philemon has legal authority over Onesimus. The punishment awaiting this runaway ranges from beating to crucifixion. The Roman world offers no grace to Onesimus.
To be clear, this is not a Jewish scene. It is a Roman one. Most scholars believe that Philemon lives near Colossae (see letter to the Colossians).
It may seem odd to suggest that Philemon faced a predicament. Try and imagine what the world is telling him. The dominant worldview of his day was one that was screaming for him to exercise his rights! Punish the offender. Whatever you do, do not grant this person whom even Paul describes as useless, his freedom! Philemon will face scare-mongering tactics and more. He will face judgment from the world.
Followers of Jesus today face the same sort of judgment from the world that followers of old, such as Philemon faced.
Can you list off situations today where followers of Jesus face judgment from this world? Perhaps the range of issues swirling around gender and marriage come to mind. But there are more. When thinking about material possessions, is enough-enough? Or how about our spirit of generosity?
There are any number of “how shall we live” issues that we face daily.
Yet, look again at the letter. It is, “…for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you…” and “…your goodness might not be by compulsion…”
The appeal is made from a source of Love and not Law. This is not a letter about “thou shalt” and “thou shall not”. This letter is about living out GRACE.
Philemon needs to look in the mirror, or be on his knees, and reflect on how much Jesus loves him—who, not out of compulsion, paid the ultimate cost as He went to the Cross—from which GRACE flows.