April 17
Onesimus
I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains… Philemon 1:10 (NKJV)
One of the hidden gems in the Bible is the Book of Philemon. Actually, it’s more of a letter than a book, and maybe even more of a text message than a letter. It’s only twenty-five verses long, but the tale it tells is truly timeless.
Basically, it’s Paul writing from prison to a friend named Philemon. Now Philemon had a servant named Onesimus who had run away and evidently done something deserving of punishment. Through a series of divine twists and turns, Onesimus comes into contact with Paul in prison. And the discovery is eventually made that they both know Philemon!
We don’t have all the details, but it’s not hard to imagine Paul helping Onesimus to see God’s will for him—to go back to the one he’d wronged, apologize, and ask for forgiveness.
Although it must have been a hard decision to make, Onesimus decides to do the right thing by returning to his former master. So Paul writes this letter explaining how God’s gracious hand has been at work in Onesimus’ life, and sends it along with him to present to Philemon. It’s a powerful way of encouraging Philemon to forgive, even as God in Christ has forgiven us.
What a powerful picture of the reconciliation that can happen when the Lord is involved in our lives! But let’s zoom in the character of Onesimus. He had a choice to make—a hard one. He could either avoid doing the difficult thing or he could march back to the last place his fallen nature wanted to go.
He did the difficult thing, because it was the right thing. So should we. We need to do things because they are right, not because they’re easy or convenient…period. And when we do, when we take those first few difficult steps, God often accomplishes a wonderful work of reconciliation that withstands the test of time.
Think About It…
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
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