"....To Philemon...and to the church that meets in your home....I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me." (Philemon, NIV)
Onesimus was a run-away slave. Now I'm not going to discuss slavery, or ethics, or all the whatevers. What did occurred to me today is that I was a runaway slave, in chains, useless when Jesus took me in--- Glorious reception for an unworthy slave.
Paul led Onesimus to Jesus, apparently while they were both in prison, maybe sort of like the old phrase, "one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread." Onesimus, apparently wanting to be "free," fled from Philemon's estate, got caught, and ended up in jail------ with Paul, "in chains.., useless...." Caution to humanity: Beware what you run from and run to. What humanist call "freedom" is nothing but disguised slavery.
Ah, then enters the New Life in Jesus Christ, "....but now he has become useful both to you and me." What a picture of the Believer in Jesus. We were run-aways, "in chains.., useless.., but now," in Jesus Christ we are valued Followers, valued Children of the Living Triune God. We are as Ephesians 2 declares, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I so thank You for taking in this useless slave. Amen.
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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
