Good Morning! What a beautiful day it is down here on the docks. I hope you are going on an exciting journey. I know I am. I am headed to Colossae with Tychicus over there. We are going to deliver a letter from an incredible guy named Paul to the Colossian church. Then, I have a letter to deliver myself to a man named Philemon. Something, I never imagined I would do.
You see, my name is Onesimus. In your language, my name means, “useful.” Kind of an ironic name, at least lately. You see, I was Philemon’s slave, and awhile back, I ran away. I had to get as far away as I could to avoid getting caught, so I tried to lose myself in the big city of Rome. But while I wasn’t living as a slave to Philemon anymore, I was a slave to a guilty conscience. You see, I stole from Philemon as I left town. So, in fact, I wasn’t very useful to him at all. It bothered me that I left that way. Philemon is a good man, and always treated me decently. So here I was in Rome, feeling alone, guilty, and scared.
But one day, all that began to change. It was the day I met a prisoner named Paul. I know what you’re thinking, “you met a prisoner who did something much worse than you did, and it made you feel better about yourself.” But it’s not like that at all! Paul didn’t deserve to be in jail. He is an innocent man, suffering in jail simply because some people don’t like what he believes and teaches about God.
But I don’t know how people could hate him, or his beliefs so much. God used Paul, and what he preaches, to change my life in some incredible ways. You see, it was Paul that taught me all about Jesus. How God sent his Only Begotten Son into the world to die on the cross for sinners like you and me. Paul said it so beautifully when he quoted from a letter he wrote to the church in Rome. He said: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:6-8)
This was just the Good News that my hurting heart needed to hear. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I never imagined that I could ever be a free man again when it came to my conscience. To live in awe that Christ was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. (Rom 4:25)
I came to the prison see Paul all the time. I wanted to learn from him all that I could about Jesus and his great love. I couldn’t get enough of it. And Paul loved sharing about Christ. So I would come by. The guards would let me hang out with Paul. And while he was teaching me, I would try to help him out, bring him some food, run some errands, anything I could do. After awhile, this old man became like a father to me. And I became like a son to him. The whole time my faith grew and grew, and I came to appreciate the love of Christ more and more.
But, while I found that I had peace with God, it still bothered me that I was not at peace with Philemon. The Good News of Christ’s love for me had changed me. And I wanted to make up for the wrong that I had done. I wanted to go back to Philemon and tell him how sorry I was, and pay back all that I had stolen. But getting back home was not something that could be done easily.
You see, I am a runaway slave. And in the Roman empire, there are people who make a good living roaming around and hunting down people like me. And trust me, you don’t want to get caught. If any of these people found me, they would brand my forehead, make me do double labor, and that only if I was one of the lucky ones. Some runaway slaves are beaten in the public squares, and others are thrown as food to be devoured by wild beasts in the amphitheater for the amusement of the crowds. (Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 3 [Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1946], 519).
And besides all that, even if I did make it back, I have nothing with which to pay Philemon back. I have no way of making amends for my crimes against him. So I was stuck. But when I confessed all this to Paul, he said he knew Philemon, and would write a letter to him on my behalf. I have to say, I was shocked when I read the letter. Never had I read anything so powerful and yet so gentle and loving at the same time.
Because Paul is an Apostle, he could have simply told Philemon what to do, or said, listen buddy, you had better treat this Onesimus well. But he didn’t do that at all. Paul appealed to Philemon’s heart with the same love of Christ that changed mine so dramatically. Instead of telling Philemon what he was obligated to do, Paul told Philemon of Christ’s great love, and how much he appreciated him and his dedication to Christ.
Listen to the first part of this letter:
4 I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, 6 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. 7 For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. 8 Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, 9 yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you.
But it was the next part of the letter that left me speechless. I couldn’t believe the way such a great man as Paul, spoke of me, a criminal, a runaway slave, a thief.
10 I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. 11 (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) 12 I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. 13 I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, 14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. 15 For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
While Paul makes no excuse for my crimes, he doesn’t speak of me in terms of all that I have done wrong, but instead, he calls himself my father, and he calls me his child. And most unbelievable of all, he asks Philemon, who has every right to scorn me upon my return and punish me as a criminal, to have me back, no longer as a slave, but as a beloved brother in Christ!
And, as if that were not enough, Paul then goes on to say:
17 So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. 18 If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. 20 Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.
Paul knows I have nothing with which to repay my debt, and in his mercy, is willing to pay for my crimes in my stead. I don’t think I could have a clearer reflection of the Love of Christ shown to me. I have nothing that I can give to God to make up for all that I have done wrong in my life. I have nothing to offer that can even come close to offsetting all of my sins and mistakes and bad choices. And yet, Christ, in his unfathomable mercy, pays my debt. He dies on the cross for my sins. He suffers the death and punishment I deserve, so that I don’t have to. And Christ makes me new, and holy, and gives me the promise of eternal life with Him. It’s a gift that I can’t understand. It’s too wonderful for words. All I can do is be thankful, and try to serve Him.
I guess this is why Paul is confident that Philemon will take me back, and treat me well. He knows Philemon’s faith. He knows how thankful Philemon is to Christ, and to Paul for teaching him about Christ’s love just like he taught me. So when Paul tells Philemon that he wants some benefit from him in the Lord, he knows that Philemon will be glad to help, he will be glad to obey, because he knows Philemon lives a life of grateful service to God as well.
I still seems hard to believe that Philemon will accept me back as more than a slave or a criminal, but as a brother in Christ. But as Paul says: You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26-28).
I have been on an incredible journey. But one thing is sure. I have seen God’s grace all over everything that has happened to me in these last few months. And I look forward to seeing how His Grace and Love shape my life in the future. I can’t help but be excited about living life knowing I am loved and forgiven, and finding ways to show my gratitude by sharing this love with others.
Well, it looks like it’s time for me to get on the boat. Tychicus is waving me on. I guess I got so wrapped up in telling you about my adventures that I never asked where you were headed, sorry about that. Well wherever you’re going, and whatever the Lord has for you to do, I will pray that God reminds you of his love, inspires with his mercy, and that you will see and share God’s grace all along the way.
Take Care! And have a great adventure!
