Sunday, January 29, 2006
January 30 Philemon
Go ahead and look first at Philemon . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.
Key Verse(s): Philemon 1:17
So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.
Title: I Don’t Own Anything
Observation: The background of this chapter is that Philemon is the recipient of the letter and it’s concerning his slave Onesimus. It seems that Paul has evangelized both Philemon and Philemon sent his slave to help Paul in his imprisonment. After Onesimus became a Christian it seems that Paul had sent back to his master Philemon. Then it seems that Onesimus ran away to Paul. So Paul is writing a letter to send Onesimus back with when he returns to Philemon his master.
Philemon had the right to punish Onesimus brutally, kill him if he wanted to. Onesimus was just property according to Roman law. But Paul is challenging him, saying that before he was just a slave, but now he is a brother Christian. And before you punish him, consider that he now is a brother in the faith. He also reminds Philemon that he owes Paul a greater debt than Onesimus owes Philemon and that if thinks there should be some punishment, Paul says, charge it to my account. You owe me far more than that, you owe me your very life, Paul is telling Philemon. So treat Onesimus well, and if you want to do what’s right, send him back to help me in prison, which really is your obligation anyway.
While slavery is repugnant to us (and I think Paul, if you read between the lines) the lesson is also about those thing we think of us as our property. We have found new life in Jesus; we owe him everything. Everything, including everything we own. So when God asks us to give up something that we “own” we need to remember this little letter.
As we today have pledged as a church to give to God in the new year, let us be open handed and not need to be scolded to give back to God what belongs to him.
Application: I need to hold everything with an open hand to God. I need to be willing to give to God financially, and let God’s mission use any possession- my car, my home- as there is need. I need to not think of it as mine, but as I hold in trust God’s possession until he needs to transfer it somewhere else.
Prayer: Lord God, my provider, help me to see that your grace is sufficient, not your grace + my comfort = my faith. Help me to see that Jesus=enough. Lord, help me to hold everything with an open hand, model a life of faith. Thank you for your blessings. Let me be faithful with what you have given.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
