One of the many things I love about the Scriptures is how multiple messages are often layered in a small set of verses, and how many times the Holy Spirit points me to new and different lessons when I re-read those sections of the Word.  This is certainly the case with today’s first reading from Philemon, one of the shortest books in the Bible.  There are three main characters:  Philemon, a Christian convert in Colossae, legal owner of Onesimus, and the main person to whom the epistle is written; the apostle Paul, a church leader writing from prison; and Onesimus, a follower of Christ who had been Philemon’s slave but more recently had been with Paul.  The letter does not tell us what or who was responsible for the separation between Philemon and Onesimus.  Some speculate that Onesimus may have been an escaped slave who, while a fugitive, encountered Paul and converted to Christianity; others, that Philemon had thrown Onesimus out of the household for some reason.  What is clear from the letter is that Paul desires reconciliation between the two for their benefit as well as for the church in Colossae and beyond.

When I take the role of spectator, this is a fairly comfortable story to breeze through.  However, when the Holy Spirit leads me to identify with each of the three, I feel challenged and a little bit uneasy.  Start with Philemon.  Philemon is asked to let go of whatever had transpired and to welcome back Onesimus as a beloved brother, as if he were Paul himself.  When I imagine myself in Philemon’s place, I wonder if I would have been able to set aside anger and hurt toward someone who had wronged me or if I could have foregone any acts (justified or not) of punishment or retribution that individual “deserved.”  Would I have had the humility to forget the old master/slave relationship and embark on one of equality, especially when society (including members of my church and household) had other expectations?  Those are hypothetical questions, but I have ample evidence from my personal past that tells me that I rise to those challenges only with the help of the Holy Spirit.

My discomfort grows a bit more as I imagine myself in the sandals of Onesimus, who had good reasons NOT to return to Colossae.  A warm reception would not have been expected since escaped or discharged slaves often faced beatings or worse from an angry master.  Can you imagine the amount of courage and faith it must have taken to trust Paul’s plan?  Remember (and if you are like me, you may have to  repeatedly remind yourself) that God repeatedly tells us, “Do not fear.  Do not worry.  I am with you.”

As a friend of both Philemon and Onesimus, Paul could have worried about damaging his personal relationships with one or both, but as a spiritual brother Paul knew that healing was needed.  He held each one accountable, and in so doing provided a wonderful model of us to follow with our own spiritual siblings.  For Onesimus, Paul challenged Onesimus to return to a potentially hostile environment, but Paul then personally interceded to ask Philemon to show mercy and love, even offering to compensate Philemon for anything Onesimus might owe.  Paul couldn’t travel (he was in prison), so he had trusted friend Tychicus provide support and encouragement on the journey (Colossians 4:7-9), including at the end when Onesimus faced his old master.  For Philemon, Paul called on him to show forgiveness, mercy and humility, but only after beginning his letter with thanks and praise for the many good things Philemon had done.  Paul avoids pulling rank with a request, not an order, to welcome Onesimus so that Philemon can do so willingly, which in turn may lessen bitterness so that the new relationship can flourish.  The letter, which appears to have circulated in public, also provided Philemon with a face-saving way of responding to anyone who criticized his behavior toward his former slave.  For that matter, the letter, along with the reference in Colossians 4:9 to Onesimus as a “dear and faithful brother” likely helped both men and the local church to accept the integration of Onesimus into the fellowship.  In short, Paul’s example emphasizes to me that accountability is more than pointing out when someone does or says something wrong.  It certainly is more than standing back and hoping that the situation resolves itself.  It requires allowing (or at least not resisting) the Holy Spirit to use me as an instrument of encouragement, support and God’s love for a soul in need.