Philemon: Fixing Fellowship pt 10
The Gospel is about reconciliation. God being reconciled to humanity through the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. But how often do we think about how this ‘Gospel reconciliation’ impacts our relationships with each other? The apostle Paul challenged his dear friend Philemon to be reconciled to his former slave, Onesimus, who ran away from him. In Paul’s encouragement to Philemon to forgive his former slave, we see an amazing picture of how the Gospel transforms our relationships — especially with those who have wronged us.
17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.
Reflection: How do you view the people in your church community? Are there certain people that you prefer to talk to above others? This is something that I think we are all guilty of. We can too easily turn our backs on those that we think are different. We can easily neglect people in our community because we place a higher value on others. The challenge and encouragement from Paul here, however, is for Philemon to welcome Onesimus as if he was welcoming Paul himself. The challenge to us is to welcome the outcast as if we were welcoming a person of high profile. Imagine what our church communities would look like if we really lived this out. Imagine the impact that would have on those around us.
Question: Who can you welcome today?
Prayer: Father — as I think of how you welcomed me into your family by grace — I ask, help me to welcome others. Help me see people as those created in your image, full of dignity, worth and value. Amen
Angus is one of the pastors at Orange Presbyterian Church. He and Steph have three children, a puppy and a veggie garden.
This devotion first appeared in the Bible Society’s Daily Bible Devotions, February 2023
More Reflections.
Often, we build something up so much in our minds, that the experience we want becomes almost unattainable. We romanticise what we think it will be like and we think “If I can just do this one thing or tick this one experience off my bucket list, then I will be able to feel a sense of fulfilment that I wouldn’t necessarily have had otherwise”.