Bible In A Year | Read: Philemon 1
15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— 16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord. 17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me (Ph 1:15-18)
This is a short but fascinating book. Paul has introduced a slave to Jesus, and the slave now has to deal with the fact that he stole from his master and ran away. As only God could bring together, Paul knows the master, Philemon, as well. Had Paul outright condemned slavery, Christianity would have become a religion embraced by slaves, not because they wanted to follow Jesus, but because they no longer wanted to be slaves. Masters would not have listened to the message of Jesus because they would have felt economically threatened. A person’s relationship with Jesus is even more important than a person’s view of or relationship with slavery. Nevertheless, Paul challenges Philemon to do the right thing and strongly implies that the right thing is to forgive his slave and give him his freedom.
When we follow Jesus, relationships and people (who are all made in the image of God) become more important than anything else. There are issues today that get people stirred up. Some issues can get Christians so riled up they stop acting like Christians. A person’s relationship with Christ is more important than his or her view on any other important issue of our day. We should help people come to Christ and encourage Christians to do the right thing without making some other issue the focus of our lives.
Action Steps
Bible: What is God showing me? What am I going to do about it?
Bless: Serve one person through word, action, or gift today.
Join us each morning as some C3ers discuss the morning devotional. Thursday’s Tough Crowd & Treat Them Like Family.
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