October 29

Lamentations 1-2
Philemon 1
Psalm 101:1-8
Proverbs 26:20

"So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has wrong wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me."
Philemon 1:17-18

Philemon is a book that we don't hear a lot about. It's short (one chapter with 25 verses) but there is a lot going on here. Philemon was a fellow believer and friend of Paul's. One of the reasons Paul wrote this letter was to appeal on Onesimus' behalf. Onesimus was at one time Philemon's slave. We don't know the reason, but we can gather that Onesimus ran away from Philemon and they did not part on good terms. It is also possible that Onesimus owed Philemon a debt. After running away, Onesimus became a Christ follower and even served with Paul. When the time came for Onesimus to return to Philemon, Paul wrote this letter asking him to be gracious because they are now brothers in Christ. Also, whatever debt he owed, Paul said he would pay.

This is amazing for a couple reasons:

(1) When Paul first gave his life to Christ, all believers were afraid because he persecuted them. They were very reluctant to accept him. In Acts 9, we read that Barnabas stood up for Paul to the other believers. After this, Paul stayed with the other believers and they even helped him escape when Hellenistic Jews tried to kill him. Without Barnabas' encouragement, the other Christians would have never accepted Paul. Here, Paul is doing the same thing for Onesimus. He is hoping his word will encourage Philemon to be gracious.

(2) Paul is showing the same grace to Onesimus that Jesus first showed him. Paul was completely dedicated to destroying the church. Then Jesus showed him grace by giving him the chance to turn from his sinful ways and follow Him. When Jesus died on the cross, he paid the price for the sins that Paul committed. In a similar way, Onesimus owed Philemon a debt that he could not pay. Because Paul loved Onesimus he agreed to pay the debt that he could not pay himself.

Ephesians 4:32 says, "Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you." Through Paul's example, we can learn how much of a difference we can make in each other's lives just by being kind. None of us deserve kindness from God and yet He showers us with it. The only correct response is to show others the same kindness.

How can you show kindness to others just as God showed kindness to you?