Lessons from Philemon

Owing to its brevity and personal nature, Paul's letter to Philemon is easy to overlook. But closer inspection of the letter reveals some important spiritual insights.

In the letter, a slave named Onesimus has wronged his master Philemon and fled to Paul. (The letter does not specify Onesimus' wrong -- much to Paul's credit -- but the transgression must have been relatively serious to warrant Onesimus' running away from Philemon.)

The letter basically is Paul's appeal for Philemon to forgive Onesimus and take him back. But Paul pushes a step further, by requesting Philemon to accept Onesimus not as his former slave status, but as an equal (Philemon: 15-16, KJV),

He ... departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever; Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved.

This seemingly personal story has corollaries to our relationship with God. Like Onesimus to Philemon, we are subservient to God and dependent upon him for survival. Also like Onesimus, we sin against our master, which brings us far away from him. But rather than destroying us, as we deserve, God forgives us, and even restores us to a higher state as heirs to his kingdom!

Paul's letter does not report what happened when Onesimus returned to Philemon, but assuming Philemon followed Paul's advice, Onesimus must have expressed his heartfelt thanks. Let us do likewise toward God for his forgiveness.

A simple prayer of contrition

An important part of a life of prayer is continually asking God for forgiveness. To many people, that part of prayer might sound depressing. But if done frequently and from the heart, it is incredibly liberating and joyful. Paul touched upon this when he said (1 Corinthians 1:18 KJV),

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

For a simple, easy-to-memorize prayer of contrition, consider David's words in Psalm 25:18 (KJV),

Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.

Especially toward the end of the day, let us reflect upon the ways in which we might have disobeyed God's commandments, and then let us cite this simple prayer. It's more fulfilling than it sounds!

On the effects of prayer

(Note: This post borrows insights from a sermon recently delivered by Tom White.)

Hannah's Prayer stands as one of the Bible's most famous examples of prayer. It takes on added Messianic import owing to its similarities with Mary's Magnificat. But, with any prayer, it's tempting to ask, "What's the point?" More specifically, what did Hannah's prayer accomplish?

It doesn't seem likely that Hannah's prayer changed God's behavior. After all, the birth of Hannah's son, Samuel, for which her prayer gives thanks, had already happened. More than that, Samuel's life and purpose were already preordained.

But just because the prayer didn't alter the will of God does not mean that the prayer had no effect. For one, it affected Hannah, in that it forced her to acknowledge God's compassion and power. And that very acknowledgement surely affected her subsequent actions, as any prayer acknowledging God's power tends to do.

But perhaps more importantly, the prayer affected Israel, and, ultimately, people's understanding of the magnitude of Jesus. The existence, and wide distribution, of the prayer alerted Israel to the importance of Samuel, who eventually became Israel's kingmaker. And as Israel's kingmaker, he eventually brought a lowly shepherd, David, to the heights of power. And then from David's genetic line emerged Jesus.

Without Hannah's prayer, it's not obvious that Israel would have recognized Samuel authority. And without Samuel's authority, it's hard to imagine David's meteoric rise to power. And without the establishment of the Davidic genetic line, from where would Jesus have emerged?

Of course, Hannah's probably wasn't considering those larger ramifications. Rather, she was merely offering her thanks and praise. But to what great effect! Our job, then, is to follow Hannah's lead. Let us offer our thanks and praise, never knowing what profound impact our prayers might have.

Becoming enticed by the world

The location of ancient Jerusalem had immediate, literal implications for that time, but the location also has symbolic ramifications for us now.

Ancient Jerusalem was located in a busy part of the world, a location that, during the first century, became crucial in quickly spreading the message of Jesus. God says (Ezekiel 5:5, KJV),

This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her.

But due to its central location, Jerusalem was beset on all sides by trouble, whether hostile nations or temptations to sin. It was important that the ancient Hebrews avoid that trouble by remaining obedient to God. Instead, (Ezekiel 5:7, KJV)

[Jerusalem] hath changed my judgments into wickedness more than the nations, and my statutes more than the countries that are round about her: for they have refused my judgments and my statutes, they have not walked in them.

But we commit the same sins today! We are placed "in the midst" of the rest of the world, yet we are asked to be obedient. When we're not obedient, then we're conforming to the world.

Being "sojourners," as the Bible puts it, means staying on constant guard against the troubles and temptations of this world. That is hard work, which requires praying without ceasing.

Rend your hearts

Proverbs 30:32 (KJV) reads,

If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.

The implication, of course, is that our sinful actions or thoughts should be followed by shame. This is what James (4:9, KJV) is referring to when he advises us to

Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

Although God hates sin, he understands our human weaknesses, and is eager to forgive us. But he seems to really detest when we don't show shame for our sins (Jeremiah 6:15, KJV),

Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush.

Pulling this all together, Joel 2:13 (KJV) succinctly summarizes how we should respond to our own sins,

Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God.

Philosophizing with God

During prayer, it's tempting to try to explain things to God. For example, we might try to explain why we sinned, or we might attempt to explain why we need his help.

But God already knows our deepest workings (Jeremiah 17:10, KJV),

I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins.

Why, then, do we try to philosophize with God? After all, God has already emphasized that his depth of thought is infinitely beyond our grasp (Isaiah 55:9, KJV),

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

Rather than philosophizing when we pray, let us follow the example of David. First, when confronted with his sin with Bathsheba, David simply says (2 Samuel 12:13, KJV),

I have sinned against the Lord.

And, later, in 2 Samuel 24 when David recognizes his sin related to the national census, he simply says (2 Samuel 24:10, KJV),

I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O Lord, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

Note the complete lack of explaining or philosophizing. Just simple, but honest, prayer. Let us follow those examples.  

Misinterpreting earthly success

The seven "letters" in chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation are chock full of amazing material. We should read those letters periodically, because they're written to us. Some of the material in those letters is encouraging, and some of the material is alarming, but all of it points toward God's mercy, in that, at several points in those letters, Jesus offers opportunities to repent of wrongdoing.

In this post, I'd like to highlight a section written to the Laodiceans, who evidently enjoyed considerable economic prosperity. The problem, however, was that they had let that prosperity numb their spiritual zeal. Jesus warns (Revelation 3:17-18, KJV),

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed.

It's a warning that appears many places in the Bible. We must not conflate early successes with spiritual progress; sometimes those are linked, but often they are not. Instead, we must seek heavenly "gold tried in the fire," and we must clothe ourselves with "white raiment" of obedience.