Several years ago, a very kind woman invited my family to visit her home and share a meal with her. She grew up in a different part of the world and was planning to serve us food that we might be unfamiliar with. I had no idea what to expect, and I wasn't sure if I would even enjoy the food, but we gladly accepted the invitation.
I still remember the conversation we had with our children on the way over to her house. They were young at the time, but we made it clear that it was our expectation that they eat whatever they were served without complaint or reaction. They agreed, and they were very cooperative throughout the course of the meal.
I'm glad we arrived with empty stomachs because this woman was extremely generous with the food she prepared for us. She made all kinds of meats and side dishes, and literally everything was delicious. It was a good example to us of what it looks like to go out of your way to generously bless someone else.
In Christ, we have been generously blessed. Through the work He accomplished on our behalf, He has demonstrated extravagant grace toward us. One of the most obvious ways we can display the transformation Christ has accomplished within us is to acknowledge the extravagant grace He's shown us by demonstrating it to others. That's precisely what Paul speaks about and attempts to do in Philemon 17-20.
I. Receive him as you would receive me
““So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me.””
As Paul continued to pen the words of this brief letter, he did so with an eye toward helping Philemon and Onesimus reconcile. But for this to take place, they would both need to see each other differently.
For years, Onesimus saw Philemon as a slave-owner and his master. I get the impression that he may have resented that. I don't know what circumstances led to Onesimus becoming a slave. He may have owed a debt to Philemon that he was working toward paying off, or he may have been living in a harsher form of slavery, but either way, I think it was going to be a challenge for Onesimus to see Philemon as a brother.
Likewise, it would certainly be a challenge for Philemon to see Onesimus as anything other than a slave. And not only a slave, but a slave that had defrauded him. I feel pretty confident that Philemon was highly irritated when Onesimus abruptly left him. Even though most people in our era see slavery as a moral wrong, during the first century, it was a common practice and it would have been easy for Philemon to see himself as law-abiding and Onesimus as law-breaking.
But Paul challenged Philemon to see Onesimus through new eyes. Instead of becoming enraged at the sight of him when he returned, Paul encouraged Philemon to welcome Onesimus like he was welcoming him. In doing so, he could demonstrate the extravagant grace of Jesus.
It's so interesting to read this brief letter and contemplate the direct application it has on our lives. We too were slaves. Scripture reveals that at one time, we were slaves to sin, but now we have been made sons of God. That's how God receives us. That's how He welcomes us. As God the Father sees God the Son, so too does He see us.
“And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”
So as one who is received by the Lord as His child, what will it look like for you to demonstrate that kind of extravagant grace to someone else who may need it? What will it take for you to see someone else with new eyes?
II. Charge his debts to my account
““If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.” ”
Earlier this year, my wife was standing in line at a convenience store. In front of her was another woman who looked like she may have just finished a shift at work. It also appeared that the food she was purchasing was going to be her dinner that evening, but when she swiped her card, the card didn't work. She tried multiple times, but the system just wouldn't accept her payment.
Frustrated and embarrassed, she decided to put her food back and leave the store, but my wife stopped her and offered to pay. For a moment, the woman protested, but then accepted my wife's act of generosity and seemed relieved. She also insisted that my wife allow her to pay it back, and believe it or not, she followed through with that later the same day even though my wife told her it wasn't necessary.
On a larger scale, Paul offered to make an interesting payment on behalf of Onesimus. Onesimus had robbed Philemon of the time he was obligated to work for him. It's also possible that he may have stolen money or property from Philemon to fund his escape and trip to Rome. So Paul offered to settle that debt on Onesimus' behalf.
What a beautiful thing to read! It's such a powerful and selfless application of what Christ has done on behalf of all believers. Our sin was charged to Christ's account and we were given His righteousness in its place. The just died for the unjust. The Master died for the slave in order to set the slave free.
““You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.” ”
““For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” ”
Our debt was charged to Christ's account. Paul had this in mind when he made his offer on Onesimus' behalf. We should have this in mind as well when given the opportunity to demonstrate the extravagant grace of Jesus to someone else.
III. Don't forget the debt that was paid on your behalf
““I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self.” ”
One of the things I find personally dangerous about being a Christian as long as I have is that it can be far too easy for me to forget the radical ways Jesus has chosen to bless me. I have noticed that on occasion, I have acted too casual about the sacrifice He made on my behalf, but I don't want to minimize His work. I don't want to forget about the debt He paid on my behalf.
I get the impression that Philemon was a man of above-average wealth and he probably wasn't someone who struggled with financial debt. And if that was the case, it might be somewhat difficult for him to identify with the struggles of someone who felt crushed under debt's burden. So Paul chose his words carefully as he addressed him.
Without belaboring the point, Paul reminded Philemon of the fact that he owed the well-being of his eternal soul to Paul because it was Paul who shared the gospel with him. It was Paul who showed him that he needed Jesus. It was Paul who assisted in his early discipleship, and it was Paul who was giving him a model of how a true Christian ought to operate in the midst of a fallen world.
So if Philemon was going to make a big deal about the debt that was owed to him, Paul wanted him to first take stock of the deeper-level spiritual indebtedness he owed. And on top of that, Paul wanted it to be abundantly clear that all believers had a debt that was paid on our behalf and we shouldn't lose sight of that. We were dead, but Jesus made us alive. We were under the curse of the law, but Jesus canceled the debt that stood against us. When Jesus was crucified, He died to pay for the sin we committed so we could live eternally free.
““And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” ”
So if we're grateful for the fact that our trespasses and the record of debt that stood against us has been set aside because of the shed blood of Christ, it's time for us to acknowledge that in visible ways. Forgive those who have sinned against you. Release the bitterness you hold against those who have hurt you. Do it because Jesus has paid the debt you owed and released you from your slavery.
IV. Refresh my heart
““Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.” ”
Not long ago, my son and I attended a conference in Florida. It was at a large hotel and conference center, and there were quite a few people in attendance. There's something I have noticed about myself when I attend events like this. I frequently fail to drink enough liquids during the day, and by the end of the day, I start to feel dehydrated.
That same pattern emerged at this conference, so at the end of the day, I found myself stopping at the small store inside the hotel to buy a bottle of a sports drink that claims it fights dehydration by infusing your body with electrolytes and other beneficial things. I don't know if that beverage does everything it claims to do, but I will confess to feeling refreshed after I drank it.
Paul was looking to be refreshed too. After all the time, effort, and pain he had invested in Philemon's spiritual development, he wanted to be refreshed by the spiritual fruit that should have been coming from Philemon's life.
This was perfectly right for Paul to ask and expect. It's kind of like the process of raising children. After all the suffering, stress, and expense you've endured to raise them and help them navigate the early seasons of their life, it seems right to expect them to start giving back someday. You want to see them acting on the advice you've given them. You want to see them making sacrifices to invest in the generation they will raise. And when you see them doing what you've taught them to do, your heart feels encouraged and refreshed. You realize that your investment in their lives was not in vain. Paul invited Philemon to refresh his heart in this manner, and I'm inclined to believe Philemon complied.
Every day offers us new opportunities to demonstrate the extravagant grace of Christ that we've been blessed to receive. What divinely ordained blessings have you become aware of in your life? How are you utilizing those blessings to bless others? Is there any blessing you might be able to bestow that could adequately reflect the extravagant nature of what Jesus has done for you?
© John Stange, 2022
