“Forgive him” – Love, Paul.   Philemon, comprised of just 25 verses.

Click to read Philemon: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philemon+1&version=NLT&interface=print

Key verses from Philemon: “I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, Onesimus … if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me… If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me.”

Hello. 

Have you ever had a ‘go between’—someone who plead your case for you, maybe even an attorney or mediator?  If you are present when the conciliation takes place—especially if the stakes are high--it can be quite powerful, and such a relief!  (Unless of course, the individual does a poor job representing you, then you want to stand up and shout over him) 

This little letter Paul wrote was written about the same time as Colossians and Ephesians, (about 60 AD), while Paul was imprisoned in Rome.  It was written to a wealthy Colossian man named Philemon, whose slave, Onesimus had run away, stealing from Philemon when he went.  Hoping to be swallowed up by the bustling population of Rome, instead, as God willed, Onesimus met Paul in Rome.  And as was the case with so many people who met Paul, he also met Jesus Christ.  Meeting Jesus, coming to put his trust in him, changed Onesimus radically. 

But his debt was still unpaid to Philemon, so Paul sends him back, with a letter safety-penned to Onesimus’ tunic, ‘before you beat him or punish him, read this first—its from me, Paul.’  And then Paul pleads the case of Onesimus to Philemon, asking that Philemon accept him back … but wait, there’s more.  ‘Accept him like you would receive me,’ realizing of course, that if Philemon were expecting the beloved apostle Paul to come and stay with him, he would roll out the welcome mat and prepare the best room in the house for him!  “I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, Onesimus … if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me… If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me.”  Paul was willing to repay any debt that Onesimus owed to Philemon; my goodness, that is powerful. 

Just 25 verses long, seeming to have little application at first glance, the little book of Philemon portrays another powerful lesson about the empathetic heart of Paul.  So often we think of Paul as strong, powerful, passionate, stubborn, intelligent beyond what most of us can understand, and yet here we see Paul pleading the case of a slave!  Don’t you just love that?  Don’t miss this--this little book of Philemon also portrays the role Paul plays for Onesimus as that which speaks of the role our Lord plays for each one of us.  Consider the words of Martin Luther, the great German reformer, on this: “Here we see how St. Paul lays himself out for poor Onesimus, and with all his means pleads his cause with his master: and so sets himself as if he were Onesimus, and had himself done wrong to Philemon. Even as Christ did for us with God the Father, thus also St. Paul does for Onesimus with Philemon… We are all His Onesimi, to my thinking.”  Oh my, that is good! 

So we see that Paul is asking Philemon to forgive Onesimus, and receive his former slave with a welcome, just as he would Paul himself; but Paul also legitimizes the fact that if Philemon could not excuse Onesimus’ debt, then he should charge it to him—Paul would be responsible for that debt.

Paul understood that forgiveness could be costly.

Forgiveness is costly . . . yet we are commanded ‘forgive as the Lord forgave you.’ (Colossians 3.13)  The Lord forgave us of the very thing that cost him his life.  Can we do any less?  Is there someone you have been unable to forgive?  Forgive, dear one, as the Lord forgave you.