Day 6: GRACE: Brotherhood in Christ (Philemon)
Today’s Passage: Philemon verses 8-22
I used to work in nuclear power. Whenever and wherever POWER is present, the potential for good and evil sit side-by-side. The larger this potential—the greater the potential for good, and unfortunately, evil.
Power resides in many places. The family being one such place. From it, we humans are launched into the world.
It is no wonder that so many of us wrestle with our family situations and relationships.
Interesting that God, when He wants to describe our relationship to himself, uses the language of family.
I wonder if the family- husband to wife, child to parent- holds the most potential relational power in this world.
As followers of Jesus, we often describe ourselves using this relational, family language. We call each other brother and sister.
Why do I bring this up? Because as we peel back the layers, we’ve come to an important one, the relational layer of family.
In the past reflections I’ve considered Philemon and Onesimus. Today I want to consider Paul and look at his appeal.
Paul makes his appeal through the relational language of family. He refers to Philemon as his brother and identifies himself as Onesimus’ spiritual father.
If asked to describe Paul’s motivation, we might answer, “Christian love”. True enough. Yet, Paul makes this appeal of love through the lens of family.
So too, God.
God, when He is speaking to us, refers to Himself as our husband (Isaiah 54:5, Jeremiah 31:32, and Hosea 2:16). As our Father (Romans 8:16 and Galatians 4:4-6). As our brother (Hebrews 2:11 and Mark 3:34-35).
Deep connection with God is a family matter. When we connect with other believers to work through challenging situations, a powerful situation sits poised, waiting for our collective response.
It is why we “get hurt” in the church. We are spiritually bonded in the deepest relational manner God has provided. There is not much middle ground.
Paul most certainly understands this dynamic. He is writing to Philemon about this very serious situation. His request goes against all the civil norms of the day as he challenges Philemon to consider this family matter.
The request Paul is making clear.
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 bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
We have learned that Philemon is a man whose loving actions are widely known and valued (verses 4-7). Paul knows he is writing to a sincere person. He knows he is asking something of Philemon that non-Christians will view as crazy. He knows he is making his appeal to a brother.
If we pause for a moment and think about this situation, depending on our own family experience, we may immediately understand. It is with our brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers where we will go-the-distance. It is where we have felt either much good, or not. There is not much middle ground.