Over spring break my family and I took a trip to Virginia, and we had the opportunity to visit Colonial Williamsburg and Yorktown. It was fascinating stepping back into history and seeing how people lived then, hearing what their burning issues were, and getting an idea of how they built this nation. The re-enactors were amazing, not only were their costumes very detailed and authentic, but these people were extremely knowledgeable and engaging.
The group of re-enactors that made me a little uncomfortable, however, was those pretending to be slaves. It is hard to imagine a person owning another person, and treating that person as less than human. The conditions the African slaves lived in were deplorable and dehumanizing. (To be fair, some of the condition the owners lived in weren’t much better, but the slave’s was worse.)
Paul wrote the letter to Philemon in a time when slavery was common. Unlike the slavery of the American South, where slavery was based on ethnic background, slaves in the Roman Empire could be anybody. This practice let everyone know that at the drop of a hat, the turn of the tides, you too could be owned. The message was clearly that life was cheap. Part of what is significant in this letter is that Paul is interceding for a slave who had run away from his master, because this slave was a man, a brother in the Lord, and valuable – not just as property is valuable, but because he too was a child of God.
As we think about Onesimus, the run away slave, a couple thoughts are important for us. The context of slavery is essential to understanding God’s salvation. The Israelites were slaves in Egypt when God saved them with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. In John 8, Jesus says that everyone who sins is a slave to sin, but if the Son sets us free we are free indeed. Jesus had come into the world to lead an even greater Exodus, than Moses’! He was to lead us out of slavery to sin and death to eternal life! We should also remember that Paul’s favorite title for himself as he begins his letters is “a servant of Jesus Christ.” That would “servant” is the same word for “slave.” Paul saw that he had moved from slavery to sin to slavery to Jesus.
There are a couple things we should take away from reading this little letter. The first is the picture of how Paul intercedes for Onesimus, because this is a picture of how Jesus intercedes for us. Under the Law, Philemon had the right to justice, and Onesimus deserved to be punished for his crime of running away. Paul put himself in Onesimus’ place and says, “Charge it to me.” That is precisely what Jesus did when He went to the cross. God had a right to justice, and we deserved to be punished for running away from Him and breaking His Law. That penalty was death, and Jesus says, “Charge it to me.” So he pays our price so we can be free.
The second thing we should grab here is how we derive our value. The world derives our value by figuring out what we can do and what they can get out of us. The saying goes, “You are only as good as your last game.” You could replace “game” with; sale, project, or repair (or even, sermon). God has a different value for our lives. For Him we are valuable because we are His children. He loves us. We are so valuable that Jesus would die to save us. When you begin to put price tags on things to value them, the tag on you is Jesus’ blood! You were indeed bought at a price – a very high price, and the One who paid it feels you are worth it.
Father, help me to know how valuable I am to you, and let me live in your love and forgiveness. Then help me value others and forgive them as I have been forgiven in Jesus. Amen.
The group of re-enactors that made me a little uncomfortable, however, was those pretending to be slaves. It is hard to imagine a person owning another person, and treating that person as less than human. The conditions the African slaves lived in were deplorable and dehumanizing. (To be fair, some of the condition the owners lived in weren’t much better, but the slave’s was worse.)
Paul wrote the letter to Philemon in a time when slavery was common. Unlike the slavery of the American South, where slavery was based on ethnic background, slaves in the Roman Empire could be anybody. This practice let everyone know that at the drop of a hat, the turn of the tides, you too could be owned. The message was clearly that life was cheap. Part of what is significant in this letter is that Paul is interceding for a slave who had run away from his master, because this slave was a man, a brother in the Lord, and valuable – not just as property is valuable, but because he too was a child of God.
As we think about Onesimus, the run away slave, a couple thoughts are important for us. The context of slavery is essential to understanding God’s salvation. The Israelites were slaves in Egypt when God saved them with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. In John 8, Jesus says that everyone who sins is a slave to sin, but if the Son sets us free we are free indeed. Jesus had come into the world to lead an even greater Exodus, than Moses’! He was to lead us out of slavery to sin and death to eternal life! We should also remember that Paul’s favorite title for himself as he begins his letters is “a servant of Jesus Christ.” That would “servant” is the same word for “slave.” Paul saw that he had moved from slavery to sin to slavery to Jesus.
There are a couple things we should take away from reading this little letter. The first is the picture of how Paul intercedes for Onesimus, because this is a picture of how Jesus intercedes for us. Under the Law, Philemon had the right to justice, and Onesimus deserved to be punished for his crime of running away. Paul put himself in Onesimus’ place and says, “Charge it to me.” That is precisely what Jesus did when He went to the cross. God had a right to justice, and we deserved to be punished for running away from Him and breaking His Law. That penalty was death, and Jesus says, “Charge it to me.” So he pays our price so we can be free.
The second thing we should grab here is how we derive our value. The world derives our value by figuring out what we can do and what they can get out of us. The saying goes, “You are only as good as your last game.” You could replace “game” with; sale, project, or repair (or even, sermon). God has a different value for our lives. For Him we are valuable because we are His children. He loves us. We are so valuable that Jesus would die to save us. When you begin to put price tags on things to value them, the tag on you is Jesus’ blood! You were indeed bought at a price – a very high price, and the One who paid it feels you are worth it.
Father, help me to know how valuable I am to you, and let me live in your love and forgiveness. Then help me value others and forgive them as I have been forgiven in Jesus. Amen.
Comments