For us as Christians when we hear these words what
comes to mind? We think about Jesus’
crucifixion and resurrection. In Jesus’
death the result of our sins, we are granted forgiveness and given the gift of
grace. Through his resurrection, Jesus
restores our relationship with God and offers us a new life for all of
eternity. However, this reconciliation
and the gift of grace are not only for making a one –time commitment to Jesus but
for committing to continuing the journey.
In Paul’s Letter to Philemon; we are given a case study of how to live a
grace-filled life. Listen to these words
from the Holy Scripture: Read Philemon 1-25.
These
twenty-fives verses are a letter written by Paul to Philemon, master of the
slave Onesimus. This letter deals with
their relationship and could be considered a personal matter with no
application for us today.
This is just like when we pass by a dead armadillo
on the road; we simply pass by and see it as no concern of ours. Perhaps though we do ask some questions; we
wonder why there are so many armadillos dead on the road and where they come
from. We may even begin to debate with
others about whether or not they should be hunted. Yet when we consider the issue long enough,
we must moving from our heads to our hearts acknowledge that the dead armadillo
is not just something to be ignored but a symptom of our stewardship or lack
thereof for God’s creation.
Similarly, we often pass over and dismiss Paul’s
Letter to Philemon as a personal matter or we can get caught in wanting the
facts. We can want to know where and
when it was written. We can wonder who
the people are who are mentioned in the letter.
We could even begin to debate whether or not Paul is condoning or
condemning slavery in this letter. Jus t
like with the dead armadillo, we must move from our heads to our hearts in
examining Philemon to come to the central issue; we must admit that this letter
isn’t just about masters and their slaves but it is about relationships and exemplifying God’s love in
all of them.
However, when we face the centrality of the Gospel;
that we are to share the love of God in all circumstances and share His love
with everyone; we wonder can we be disciples of Jesus with such a cost. It can
be quite overwhelming and we wonder where to start.
First, of all, we start where Paul starts in his
opening lines, when we read the text closely; we are reminded that no man is an
island. This letter is not just written
to Philemon but to all who are a part of the church who meets in Philemon’s
home. Paul is stressing that grace is
relational and communal. As Eugene
Peterson says, “every movement we make causes a ripple effect.” As a Christian community we are to pray for
one another and support each other in the task of loving all people.
This letter seeks to reconcile Philemon and
Onesimus. So let’s look at how Paul does
this; is he demanding or forceful? Does
he take advantage of his prior relationship with Philemon or invoke his
apostolic authority? No, Paul does none
of these things. Paul makes his request
humbly and tactfully. He emphasizes to
the church that in spite of his own imprisonment the law of love comes first. Paul did not have to return Onesimus; he
could have had him imprisoned for being a runaway slave or could have kept him
for himself just out of spite saying well he is my slave now. Yet Paul knows that what God desires more
than anything is for us not just to love Him but to love each other in ways that
go above and beyond what is expected of us. This means even in our own suffering put
others before ourselves.
He reminds Philemon of how valuable his work in the
church is. Paul himself has been blessed
and encouraged by Philemon’s love and prayers.
Paul shares Onesimus’ conversion and reminds Philemon of how he led him
to Christ. He even admits his own
selfish desires’ of wanting to keep Onesimus with him because Onesimus has been
such a help.
Paul requests that Philemon treat Onesimus now as a
brother. Onesimus has repented of his
past sins and is returning a new man. He
asks Philemon to treat Onesimus as he would treat him if he came to visit. There is to be equality in Christ. Paul desires Philemon out of love to accept
Onesimus as a brother and be an example for the community. Paul expresses his belief in Philemon that he
will do the right thing and be obedient to the higher law of love rather than
worry about his own respectability in the community. Philemon is held to the highest standard as
Paul led him to Christ and now he is a leader in the church.
Do we
lovingly expect obedience and have faith in the other person to do what is
needed to be done? Often in our
fast-paced instant world; we do not. I
often find myself after asking my daughter to do something; going back within
only a few minutes and asking her again.
Sometimes even at work or church; I feel the need to check and recheck
how something is going to be done when I am not there. Avoiding the trap of falling back on the old
cliché; that if something is going to be done right we must do it ourselves is
hard to do. While there is a place for accountability; we also need to give
others the opportunity to do what is being asked of them. There are no exceptions to this. We all have gifts to offer. For as it says in Galatians 3:28, “There is
no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer
male or female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”
So how do we apply these principles of non-dominance
and equality in our own communities of faith? Can we in church meetings or
gatherings, when discussions become heated, act as mediators and bring it back
to the issue at hand lovingly? Can we in
our Sunday school classes or small groups not tolerate gossip or judgment but
rather remind everyone that no one is perfect and we are not God. Welcoming and including everyone is not an
option but a command by Jesus. However,
in the same way that Paul gives Philemon a choice so Jesus give us a
choice.
So how do we lead if we choose to follow Jesus’ way,
the way of love? We need to see ourselves as servants and be patient with those
whom we lead. We cannot be tireless and
demanding taskmasters either in the church nor at home nor at work. In my Sunday school class; we practice
collaborative leadership allowing anyone who desires to the opportunity to
teach. We strive during our lessons to
give all who wish to an opportunity to contribute. Yet we also trust our class leaders to make
the necessary final decisions regarding curriculum and other issues related to
the management of the class. The key
word here is trust as leaders we must foster trust lovingly. Our new Bishop, Bill McAlilly; has been and
continues to work tirelessly at having open dialogue throughout the Memphis
Conference. He is working to gain our
trust by giving us opportunities to give input and by keeping us informed
through his blog. Bishop McAlilly is setting
an example for us and encouraging us as a conference to believe that greater
things are yet to come. The Bishop
desires not only our obedience but for us to listen and forge new relationships
with each other. We need to permeate the church and all of its
gatherings with grace and love. We need
to take the time to listen to each other and not succumb to the disease of this
age which is only paying partial attention because somehow we must be doing two
or three things at once. We must clothe
ourselves in love and let His amazing grace permeate our churches rather than
regulations; disagreements and traditions.
However we should not stop there;
as Christians we are called to go out into the world.
Institutions cannot change overnight but we can change
how people are treated. We can offer
smiles to strangers and friendly faces to cashiers at Supermarkets and gas
stations. We can offer appreciation to
those who serve such as housekeepers and maintenance crews who are often viewed
as invisible. We can tip and be
complimentary when a job is well done. We
can speak out regarding crucial issues without attacking those who disagree
with us. We can urge others to get
involved in their communities.
I am involved in a community mediation program that
works with non-violent juvenile offenders.
This program offers an opportunity for both the offender and the victim
to share their stories and reach an agreement of how to resolve the issue
together. This program stresses relationships
rather than punishment. Resolving
conflicts through mediation is one way to bring reconciliation to the world.
As time goes on, maybe we can even do the
unexpected. For example at 8 years old, my sister very
innocently and lovingly held the door for the doorman at a hotel we were
staying at. This made quite an
impression on him. He told her that no
one had ever held the door for him before. So what would happen if our employees saw the
boss emptying the garbage, if our bosses’ saw the employees going the extra
mile and finishing our reports instead of rushing off, if we did not complain
about waiting our turn or did not judge those who look different from us? What
would happen if we started eating lunch with the person who has no one to eat
with? We may think that only children
and teenagers leave others out for petty reasons but it even happens with
adults. When my mother was teaching in
the late 1960s; all of the children went home for lunch so all of the teachers
would often go out for lunch but they would not invite the one teacher who was
missing part of her hand. After several
occasions, my mother asked the teacher with the missing part of her hand to eat
lunch with her and thus my mother was also ostracized by the other
teachers. Are we willing to risk those
relationships that are comfortable and convenient?
Another piece
of reconciliation sometimes involves assuming others’ debts so that they can
have a second chance. Paul does this for
Onesimus as a way of encouraging Philemon to accept him as a brother in
Christ. Paul assures Philemon that he will
repay anything that is owed. This may
not always be in monetary terms but can also mean vouching for another’s
character; offering someone a place to live or assisting them in making that
difficult phone call to the person they have wronged.
Yet we cannot do any of this in our own strength
considering ourselves superior or our actions will seem patronizing and
self-serving. Like Paul, we must act
with humility and out of God’s transformative power. We need to admit when we are wrong and ask
for forgiveness. We must heed the words
of Ephesians 4:26, which reads, “Be angry but do not sin, do not the sun go
down on your anger.” We must reconcile
relationships as soon as we can; there is no time like the present.
Sometimes however we are not going to know what the
outcome is. Historically; there is some evidence that Onesimus was freed and
went on to become a leader in the church but what actually occurred remains a
mystery. Like Paul, we may be called to
move on to other places before relationships change but that should not keep us
from always acting out of love in the present moment.
Yes this is the message of Philemon, not to condemn
but to love in all circumstances and change the world one person at a
time. We as Christians are called to
pray for each other and support each other in being a part of this ministry of
reconciliation. The church is to be a
laboratory for sharing God’s love.
So today I challenge us as individuals and as a
church community to practice reconciliation.
Spend time each day confessing your sins to God; let love and grace
permeate your household and treat everyone with a loving spirit. Let us
be known by our love in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Amen.
May the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your
spirit; go out into the world sharing His grace with everyone.
