Dear Friends,

This is the third message in a series on Paul’s Letter to Philemon.

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Paul was a prisoner when he wrote to Philemon. Captivity would be difficult for a man who had traveled far and wide around the Mediterranean telling people about the love and power of the resurrected Christ.

But Paul had learned the secret of finding contentment in any circumstance — “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Phil 4:11-13).  Paul’s life belonged to God and was empowered by God who loved him (1Cor 6:20; Gal 2:20).

Those who know God loves them truly and forever and accept his love obtain a confidence and freedom that permits them to love well. God’s love expressed in Christ Jesus gave Paul a freedom that no locks and chains or any human could deny him. Yes, Paul was in jail, but his love and gratitude could not be constrained.

Instead of resentment over his imprisonment and envy of Philemon’s liberty, Paul prayed in thankfulness for Philemon’s faithful love and service for Christ in support of their fellow believers —

When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus. I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother (Phil. 4-7).

Paul was not only glad for what Christ was doing in and through Philemon’s life, he was excited that even more was possible as Philemon realized his potential to do good. Philemon was a successful businessman in a pagan city. He had accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord. A church was operating in his house. People were being transformed and nurtured through his love. Lives were being changed by the grace of God through Philemon’s ministry.

Now Paul had another change to propose to Philemon — accept Onesimus, not as a slave or a thief, but as a brother in Christ. This sounds wonderful, but in reality it is where many Christian relationships crash and break-up.

There is a danger of conflating divine forgiveness with pardon from the verdicts and penalties of human justice. As a follower of Christ and an attorney, I often face this challenge.

Of course God calls us to forgive as he forgave us in Christ. It is easy for a leader in Paul’s position to say, “God forgives Onesimus, and so do I.” The problem is Philemon was the person wronged by Onesimus and only Philemon could really forgive him. As Solomon wisely observed, “Only the person involved knows the bitterness or the joy, and a stranger has no part in it” (Pr 14:10).

Forgiveness involves a cost that can only be written off and released by the wronged and the injured. It only increases the injury and the pain for a bystander to forgive the violator for what he or she has done to the person violated. Yet, too often our communities, churches, and schools extend forgiveness without consideration of the need of the victim for justice and restoration. This minimizes the wrong and shames the wronged. Paul rightly recognized that it was up to Philemon, not the church, to forgive Onesimus, even though he hoped and prayed Philemon would forgive.

There is an opposite danger of refusing the fellowship of believers to Onesimus until he had made things right with Philemon. Jesus said our Heavenly Father does not withhold his mercy from the unlovely, his enemies, the ungrateful and the evil and we should be merciful to them as well (Luke 6:32-36). There is a sequence — we love because God first loved us, we forgive because God forgives us, we show mercy because God has been merciful to us (Eph 4:32; 1 John 4:19-21).

While the right and obligation to forgive belong to the wronged, they cannot tyrannize the rest of us into making their resentments ours. Our obligation is to see justice is done, and insofar as it is possible, to provide  fairness and equity in processes for justice. The Bible teaches the importance of fair process. “It is not right to be partial to the guilty, or to subvert the innocent in judgment . . . The one who first states a case seems right, until the other comes and cross-examines” (Pr 18:5,17).

Paul insisted on the right of persons in Onesimus’ position to be treated fairly and kindly (Col 4:1) James said, “Whoever knows the right thing to do and doesn’t do it, for that person it is sin” (Js 4:17). Faith and devotion to God require his followers to be fair and just, it does not excuse them from that obligation.

Paul met these challenges of justice and mercy by identifying with Christ as an intercessor. To be an intercessor means to plead for the person to God as Jesus pled to God for our souls. Intercession means we seek and adopt the merciful perspective of God toward his broken and straying children and we pray on the ground of that perspective.

Christ’s identification with us as intercessor was so complete that he died our death for us and offered his life in exchange for ours. Paul told Philemon to receive Onesimus as Paul’s “own heart.” He asked Philemon to charge any wrong or debt of Onesimus to Paul’s own account. He begged Philemon to see Onesimus as a brother in Christ, not as a slave (Phil 12, 15-17).

These requests reflect the atonement of Christ for the sins of Onesimus. The venerable Oswald Chambers said–
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Whatever circumstances God may place you in, always pray immediately that His atonement may be recognized and as fully understood in the lives of others as it has been in yours. Pray for your friends now, and pray for those with whom you come in contact now. . . . Jesus Christ has said, in essence, “Pray for the friend who comes to you at midnight, pray for the saints of God, and pray for all men and women.” Pray with the realization that you are only perfect in Christ Jesus, not on the basis of this argument– “Oh, Lord, I have done my best; please hear me now.” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest [Grand Rapids, MI: Discovery House, 1992], entries for June 20 and June 21).

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Paul could have whined to Onesimus, “I am imprisoned, what can I do?” He might have said, “I know just how you feel as a slave. I am in prison myself.” But “misery loves company” is a denial of grace and no Christian concept. It is the craven instinct of the rebel to seek safety in numbers rather than the forgiveness and restoration of a merciful God.

Paul prayed for Onesimus and Philemon out of his certainty of the love and grace of God that could not be overcome by shackles and chains or denied by the strictures of the law. His gratitude expressed the truth that neither Onesimus’ wrongs nor Philemon’s rights were the final answer.

Paul’s Letter to Philemon entered the canon of Scripture as a standing appeal to submit every claim, every oppression, every fear, every sin, and circumstance to God for forgiveness and transformation into something that reflects and ministers God’s love. It is a claim that the reign of God in one’s heart expressed in gratitude has the power to set both the prisoner and the slave free.

This story of an old woman in an extended-care hospital conveys the power of gratitude to disarm our oppressors and transform captivity into freedom–
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She had some kind of “wasting disease,” her different powers fading away over the march of the months. A student of mine happened upon her on a coincidental visit. The student kept going back, drawn by the strange force of the woman’s joy. Though she could no longer move her arms and legs, she would say, “I’m just so happy I can move my neck.” When she could no longer move her neck, she would say, “I’m just so glad I can hear and see.”

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When the young student finally asked the old woman what would happen if she lost her sound and sight, the gentle old lady said, “I’ll just be so grateful that you come to visit.”

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There was an uncommon freedom in that student’s eyes as she told me of her friend. Somehow a great enemy had been disarmed in her life” (John Kavanaugh, America 73, no 10 [Oct. 7, 1995], 24).

Paul asked Philemon to trust God’s love and be grateful even when he had been wronged and had an opportunity for vengeance. This is the way of Christ. If we take it, we too will find freedom.

Next week’s message will discuss the harm we can cause when we reject the way of love and gratitude.

“O taste and see that the Lord is good. Happy are those who take refuge in him” (Psalm 34:8).

Under the mercy of Christ,

Kent

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Please note that the content and viewpoints of Mr. Hansen are his own and are not necessarily those of the C.S. Lewis Foundation. We have not edited his writing in any substantial way and have permission from him to post his content.

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Kent Hansen is a Christian attorney, author and speaker. He practices corporate law and is the managing attorney of the firm of Clayson, Mann, Yaeger & Hansen in Corona, California. Kent also serves as the general counsel of Loma Linda University and Medical Center in Loma Linda, California.

Finding God’s grace revealed in the ordinary experiences of life, spiritual renewal in Christ and prayer are Kent’s passions. He has written two books, Grace at 30,000 Feet and Other Unexpected Places published by Review & Herald in 2002 and Cleansing Fire, Healing Streams: Experiencing God’s Love Through Prayer, published by Pacific Press in spring 2007. Many of his stories and essays about God’s encompassing love have been published in magazines and journals. Kent is often found on the hiking trails of the southern California mountains, following major league baseball, playing the piano or writing his weekly email devotional, “A Word of Grace for Your Monday” that is read by men and women from Alaska to Zimbabwe.