Proper 18 / Pentecost 16 / Ordinary Time 23
Devotional
Water From the Rock
Lectionary Devotional for Cycle C
Object:
I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment.
-- Philemon 10
This short letter has been a source of continuing discussion throughout Christian history. Paul has been criticized in the last century for not denouncing slavery, and he was quoted in the previous century in support of slavery. What is clear in this letter is that Onesimus was a slave who belonged to Philemon. Philemon was an active Christian who provided the meeting place for a body of Christians. Paul considered Philemon a coworker in the ministry. While it is disputed whether Onesimus was a runaway slave or a slave that Philemon had sent to support Paul during his imprisonment, it is clear that during his time with Paul, Onesimus became a Christian.
Now the question arises as to the place of a slave in a Christian home. If, as Paul said, in Christ there is neither slave nor free (Galatians 3:28), then how was Philemon supposed to treat Onesimus? Paul urged him to voluntarily receive Onesimus back, "no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother -- especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord." This faith that turned the world's values upside down and eliminated class differences now challenged Philemon to embody the faith in his relationship with Onesimus.
While we wish that we knew more, it is clear that the faith challenged the previous relationship between Philemon and Onesimus as master and slave. For the church to read this in contemporary times challenges us to recognize the impact of our Christian faith on our relationships. Where do we lock ourselves into preconceptions of people's places in the world and forget that in Christ all those relationships have been changed?
-- Philemon 10
This short letter has been a source of continuing discussion throughout Christian history. Paul has been criticized in the last century for not denouncing slavery, and he was quoted in the previous century in support of slavery. What is clear in this letter is that Onesimus was a slave who belonged to Philemon. Philemon was an active Christian who provided the meeting place for a body of Christians. Paul considered Philemon a coworker in the ministry. While it is disputed whether Onesimus was a runaway slave or a slave that Philemon had sent to support Paul during his imprisonment, it is clear that during his time with Paul, Onesimus became a Christian.
Now the question arises as to the place of a slave in a Christian home. If, as Paul said, in Christ there is neither slave nor free (Galatians 3:28), then how was Philemon supposed to treat Onesimus? Paul urged him to voluntarily receive Onesimus back, "no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother -- especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord." This faith that turned the world's values upside down and eliminated class differences now challenged Philemon to embody the faith in his relationship with Onesimus.
While we wish that we knew more, it is clear that the faith challenged the previous relationship between Philemon and Onesimus as master and slave. For the church to read this in contemporary times challenges us to recognize the impact of our Christian faith on our relationships. Where do we lock ourselves into preconceptions of people's places in the world and forget that in Christ all those relationships have been changed?
