Freedom in Christ by Faith

The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 4-5, 2010
Philemon 1-21

 “Freedom in Christ by Faith”

It’s Labor Day weekend, the unofficial close to summer as we prepare to return to work and school. Since 1894 when it became a federal holiday, the first Monday in September has been dedicated to the social and economic achievements of the American labor force. As we all know, many in the labor force are struggling right now – people who want to work, but can’t find work; people whose jobs have been outsourced or whose companies have gone through a reduction in force; people who find themselves unemployed. It’s tough out there right now, and the outlook at this point in time is uncertain at best. To have work for our hands, and receive a just and fair wage for that work is truly a blessing, one that we can easily take for granted until we ourselves are standing in that unemployment line. This Labor Day weekend, let us be especially mindful of those around us and among us who find themselves in this situation as we pray to the Lord that He would open doors of opportunity for them, and as we show Christ’s love through our words and actions. In contrast to those who are searching for work, the Epistle lesson for today speaks of the opposite end of the work spectrum; namely, slavery. Here, in one of the shortest books of the Bible, the apostle Paul writes a beautiful and moving letter to his fellow believer and friend, Philemon, about Philemon’s runaway slave, whose name was Onesimus. The message for today, based on this Epistle lesson, draws together the three preaching themes from the summer under the theme: “Freedom in Christ by Faith.” May the Lord’s rich blessing rest upon the preaching, the hearing, and the living of his Word, for Jesus’ sake.

So, let’s look at the background of Paul’s letter to Philemon about Onesimus. Paul is writing this letter from prison – probably at Rome, but maybe Ephesus. While in prison for the sake of the Gospel, Onesimus the runaway slave somehow comes into contact with Paul, who leads Onesimus to saving faith in Jesus. By Roman law, a runaway slave had to be returned to his or her owner, and Paul is doing this. But the relationship between slave and owner has changed. Both are now believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, and Paul is sending this letter to Philemon (as well as to the church that meets in his home) encouraging Philemon (as well as the believers in his home) to receive Onesimus back, not as a runaway slave but as a fellow disciple of Jesus. Paul does not address the question of slavery in his brief letter, nor does he discuss whether or not Onesimus should be set free. What he does address is how Onesimus should be received: not with resentment, anger, and hostility, but with forgiveness, as a full and equal member of the Body of Christ, as a brother. Paul wants Philemon’s decision about all of this to be his own choice, and of his own free will. Although Paul is not above using his own authority as an apostle and as Philemon’s spiritual father to influence things, he chooses not to exercise this authority here. Paul expects that Jesus’ redeeming love, which sets people free from sin and death and puts everything into a new light, will be the guide for Philemon’s decision-making.

There’s a lot of things about all of this that we don’t know. We don’t know how things turned out when Onesimus returned with this letter from Paul in his hand. We don’t know the kind of reception that this runaway slave received when he returned to his owner. We don’t know whether Onesimus was released from slavery by Philemon. In our own lives we also struggle with how things will turn out. We struggle with decision-making about what it means to follow Jesus. Like Philemon, we may find ourselves wronged by another, maybe even a fellow believer, and we’re pretty angry about it. We may want to be compensated for what we’ve lost; we may be looking for revenge. If Jesus loved us so much, even when we were spiritually blind, dead, and enemies of God, that He would give his life for us on the cross, then how are we to live? Do we see life through our own eyes, or do we see life through Jesus’ eyes? That was certainly the challenge for Philemon, and it is the challenge for each and every one of us today as the people of Christ.

In truth, we all need someone like Paul to call us back to what is most important. And what is most important here is not the lost labor, time, or money that might have been Philemon’s through the work of his slave, Onesimus. What is most important, as Paul points out, is that the two – Philemon and Onesimus – be restored to one another in a new relationship that will re-define who they are. No longer are they merely owner and slave, but they are now fellow believers and brothers in Christ. There is freedom in Christ by faith. We all need someone like Paul to call us back to what is most important, but we are also called to be Paul to one another – to help each other grow in our faith, to spur each other on to love and good works, serving each other just as God in Christ has served us.

In this brief letter, Paul willingly takes over the entire debt of Onesimus (v. 18). Anything that is owed to Philemon because of the labor, time, and money that was lost, Paul says he will repay it. And that is exactly what Jesus has done for us: He has taken over our entire debt. All of the wasted time, money, labor that we have frittered away on things that do not matter;  all of our sins of thought, word, and deed; the evil we have done and the good we have failed to do – all of this staggering debt Christ has paid for us. This is the good news of God in Christ Jesus, and so we are set free – free to love and forgive as we ourselves have been loved and been forgiven. God help us to do this, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.