Philemon: Fixing Fellowship pt 13
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.
21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
22 And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.
Reflection: As Paul begins to wrap up his letter, he wants to show Philemon that he doesn’t want it to be awkward between them. Often when two people have a falling out and they work on restoring the relationship, it can be a bit awkward initially as the hard work of restoration plays out. Paul is wanting to assure Philemon that he doesn’t want it to be awkward. In fact, they are still dear friends. To show this, he tells him that he’s planning on seeing him in person. He wants to be there in person as soon as he can — when God answers their prayers for his release from house arrest in Rome. Paul is moving towards Philemon in love to demonstrate that there is no ill-will between them. This is a beautiful example for us to follow as we consider that often hard work of seeking restoration with others. It can be hard at times, but we are called to keep moving towards each other in love as we seek to be restored.
Question: Where can you demonstrate the love of God in moving towards someone in love today?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, you moved towards me in love before I even knew you. Grant me the grace and humility to do the same towards those around me. May you do this for your glory in the church and for the sake of Jesus.
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”.