Today’s readings: Philemon 1, Psalm 32
Philemon 1:3-7
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, 6 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. 7 For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.
How would you like to receive a letter that begins like this one to Philemon? You might be inclined to wonder, What’s he want? You might dismiss it as overly effusive praise that has no true connection to reality. Or you could read it and say, It’s about time I was recognized for the great person of faith that I truly am.
I suppose there is a better way. What if you read this as sincere and heartfelt? What if you recognize that Paul, who identifies himself in the opening words of the letter—the common convention of the time—was a man of God whom you respect and admire? What if you really do owe him your life and eternal gratitude for bringing Christ to you and you to Christ? This, I believe, is how it should be read.
Only, there is a fly in the ointment. It seems there are very few people who deserve to be identified in the way Paul speaks of Philemon. That is, unless we are like the sheep of Matthew 25 who ask, in effect, When did we see you hungry, naked, or in prison and come to your aid? Might it be that our love for the Lord and our faith in him bring joy and comfort to our pastors, church leaders, and other servants of the Gospel in ways we don’t even realize?
Think about that for a moment. Your willingness to serve others, your love for Jesus, your faithfulness in hearing his Word and receiving his Sacrament encourage those who serve you for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, I want my readers to know that this is true of you. While I write this blog for my own sake—to keep myself personally engaged in the Word and faithful in my devotions—I appreciate the likes, comments, and mentions that make their way to me.
You should know that your pastor and other Gospel servants (church staff, Sunday school teachers, church leaders, and Bible class leaders) love to know that their efforts are not in vain. Your kind words of encouragement bless them.
So I’m asking today that, if you are blessed by these people, let them know. And please…I’m not fishing for compliments here! I’m asking that you express your appreciation to them and let them know that their work with you has made a difference. Why not text someone about that right now?
Notice, too, how Paul encourages Philemon in his faith. He prays that Philemon’s “partnership in the faith will become increasingly fruitful as [he recognizes] all the good things we share in Christ.”
It seems likely to me that Paul is connecting all this with his hope that Philemon will receive Onesimus, his runaway slave, back not merely as a slave but as a brother in Christ—and perhaps even allow him to return to serve Paul in his mission work.
And perhaps that’s where the real beauty of this letter comes into focus. Paul isn’t simply complimenting Philemon for being a good Christian. He’s reminding him of the faith and love that are already evident in his life, and then asking him to put that faith and love into practice in a particularly difficult situation.
That’s what faith in Jesus does. It takes shape in the way we receive and treat others. It may encourage a pastor, strengthen a fellow believer, or change the way we regard someone who has wronged us.
And sometimes we may not even realize the good that God is working through us.
Paul saw God’s grace at work in Philemon. And now he was asking Philemon to extend that same grace to Onesimus. What a beautiful thing when the grace we have received in Jesus overflows into the lives of others—sometimes in ways we don’t even recognize.
Follow the Word is a daily Bible reading and devotional ministry of St. John Lutheran Church, Cypress, Texas.
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