Philemon
In 1999
the band DC Talk released a book in partnership with the Voice of the Martyrs called Jesus Freaks. It tells stories of people who have suffered
and died for the faith, but focusing on those who died in the last half of the
twentieth century.
One of
the stories they told was of “Ivan.”
Ivan lived in Soviet Russia. He
was a thug, a petty thief, and a troublemaker.
He ended up in prison where he met a couple Christians who were there
for illegally sharing the Gospel. The
Christians in Soviet Russian prisons stood out from the others. They cared for their fellow prisoners,
sacrificing and serving those around them.
They intrigued Ivan … and scared him.
One day as they spoke to Ivan he confessed, “I am a lost man. My life has no value.” One of the Christians asked Ivan, “If a gold
ring is lost does it have value?” Ivan’s
eyes lit up. “Of course! It is gold.
You have lost it, but another will find it.” And they told Ivan about how Jesus had come
to seek and save the lost, to die to pay for our sins, and that Jesus’ death
gave Ivan’s life value. He believed.
Ivan
became a leader in the church and was arrested again. This time it was for His faith. The Soviets tortured Ivan to get the names of
other Christians. All throughout he
praised God for being counted worthy to suffer for Jesus’ sake. He died a martyr.
Onesimus
was similar to Ivan. He was a runaway
slave and a law breaker. His life had no
value until he heard an itinerant preacher named Paul talking about Jesus, the
Son of God, who died and rose to pay for sins.
Philemon was Onesimus’s owner, and Paul was sending him back – not as a
worthless slave, but as a beloved brother in Christ.
What is
the value of a person? Jesus shows that
we are worth the cost of His suffering, blood, and death. A high value indeed!
Lord Jesus, help me to
see how greatly You value me and my neighbors.
Help me to value others as You do so that I will sacrifice and serve
them in ways that show Your love.
Amen.
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