Philemon: a very small book in the New Testament; a letter from Paul who is under house arrest in Rome.
> This is a lovely letter asking a Christian slave owner to forgive his run away slave.
> This is a perfect letter for us to remember when we are in a position to forgive - or not.
> In Rome, a runaway slave was in very, very serious trouble; he could loose his life.
> But . . . there is a wonderful underlying message from the book. It tells us of Jesus as our Mediator with God; the one who speaks for forgiveness on our behalf.
> Just as Paul is pleading for Onesimus, so does our Savior now plead for us when we do wrong.
> In the right circumstances and a poor heart, we could loose our salvation.
> Paul had a personal interest in Onesimus because he was instrumental in the slave's conversion to Christianity - just as Jesus has an interest in us after the suffering He did on our behalf.
> Paul was also very close to Philemon through their Christian brotherhood - just as Jesus is part of God.
> Got a minute? Take a look at this sweet letter and see Jesus in the place of Paul, Christians in place of Onesimus and God as Philemon. Read it with the deeper meaning to see the concern of our Mediator and how He offers to pay for what we owe.
> Postscript: The letter does not say if Philemon did forgive his slave BUT . . . the name "Onesimus" means "Useful" and the name "Philemon" means "He Who Shows Kindness". We can also relate these definitions to how God sees us and it reminds us of His kindness.
No comments:
Post a Comment