Are We Committed To Christian Ethics As Disciples Of Christ?
Good Morning Friends,
In Colossae there was a church. The saints met in the home of a man named Philemon, who was a convert of Paul’s on some earlier occasion. Apparently, Philemon was well-to-do, for his home was large enough to accommodate the church assemblies, and he was a slave owner. Herein lies the crux of this charming and instructive letter. Onesimus, was a slave belonging to Philemon, and he had fled from his master. The fugitive made his way to where Paul was in prison possibly in Rome but more likely in Ephesus. There he met Paul and become a convert to Christianity. Though Onesimus proved helpful to the apostle, a decision eventually was made that he should return to his master. Thus, in the company of Tychicus, Onesimus would depart for Colossae, bearing this letter—Paul’s briefest and most personal epistle. Though this little book is only twenty-five verses in the English Bible, it is packed with abiding truths and skillfully written with a clarity of recognizing the importance of being fully pledged to Christ and the love and integrity he embodied laid out in our passage from Luke. So, Are We Committed To Christian Ethics As Disciples Of Christ?
Scripture: Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.
Luke 14:25-33 (NRSV)
yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love—and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might be of service to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel; but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced. Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever, 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. So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.
Philemon 9-10, 12-17 (NRSV)
Message: The letter to Philemon is a brilliant affirmation of Christian ethics. Both Paul and Onesimus were convinced that the right thing to do was for the latter to return to his master, making right the earlier wrongs. This may seem strange to the modern mind, we might well wonder why it was deemed appropriate to return an escaped slave. But slavery was a longstanding, legal institution in that age, and Christians were to respect laws pertaining to such until a better day should dawn. Paul orchestrates with the power of the Holy Spirit backing him up a way for everyone to win when people are freed. He did not initiate an attempt to violently overthrow the practice of human bondage. He did not organize a march in the streets in emotional protest. He did however set the example. Paul would promise to cover the slave owners’ losses related to the event. So, what happened prompted by letter, at least some believe, is that Onesimus was indeed freed by Philemon and eventually Onesimus becomes the Bishop of Ephesus at the time when Paul’s letters were being collected to be published. So, the only reason that the letter makes it into the Bible. The only reason Philemon’s name is spoken today is because of the slave he freed.
And So, it was not the safest thing to do going back into slavery for Onesimus, but it was the right thing to do for it was a demonstration of an ethical character’s trust in God. And this bravery believing in Christians being beloved brothers began to alter humanity’s attitude toward the institution of slavery. For it has a unique social impact that substitutes something better for everyone and eventually supported the call for formal emancipation. Indeed, Christianity paved the way for slavery’s demise. God’s divine fingerprints are all over this in a way that should open our eyes to the providence of God being affirmed in the circumstances of our lives too. But perhaps the greatest mystery is how Paul uses persuasion over power to prompt godly behavior in response to the Holy Spirit’s nudging of the Gospel being shared throughout the world to all people. The focus is shifted to eternal issues not financial ones. The Gospel can work its power when we take the long view. Discipleship is open to those willing to bear their cross, focusing on self-sacrifice, not possessions but the promise you can listen too at the following link as you engage in today’s prayer.
Pray therefor that we are committed to Jesus. Pray we are willing to carry our crosses. Pray we count the cost of discipleship. Pray we are willing to make the sacrifice. Pray we are ethical. Pray we have courage. Pray we acknowledge the importance of scripture’s social influence. Pray we appreciate the providence of God in working out circumstances in surprising ways. Pray we choose persuasion over power to leverage outcomes. Pray we always are taking the long view. Pray we are focused on the best of ways to seek the lost for the Kingdom. Pray we recognize our debt to Christ. Pray therefor
that our possessions do not possess us. Pray the weights of the world be removed from our dark life. Pray we have the proper knowledge and vision before we engage in a decision-making process. Pray we make wise decisions. Pray we see the possibilities. Pray we count the costs. Pray we forgive our debtors.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 