COVERING DEBT

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self.

Philemon 17-19

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

From a worldly, cultural perspective, Onesimus had done wrong, a slave having run away from his master. It was considered a crime worthy of the death penalty if he returned back to Colossae from Rome, the place he fled to, and so it would have been considered foolish for anyone to try and advise him to do so.

But as we look at Paul’s letter to Philemon, this is just what the Apostle Paul is up to, seeking to facilitate a reunion grounded in love, caring, and forgiveness as he appeals to his “dear friend and fellow worker” for the cause of the Gospel.

You see, Philemon wasn’t an ordinary slave master in that day. He was a Christian who hosted church gatherings in his home. Given his knowledge and belief in the Gospel, He would have fully been aware of the matter of redemption, mercy, and grace, all of which were found in the salvation Jesus provided by bearing the sins of the world on Calvary’s cross, therefore dying in the place of every single sinner. All one had to do to be pardoned was believe in Him as Savior, something Philemon had done.

So if you were a slave in Onesimus’ position, perhaps you wouldn’t have had a more favorable opportunity to return and go unharmed than the one he was in. Couple this with the fact that Onesimus, under the tutelage of Paul, had become a Christian himself and you have a good formula for reconciliation to happen. Paul certainly made that case as we saw in yesterday’s message.

Indeed, Paul did a great job of petitioning Philemon to accept Onesimus back, not as a slave but rather a brother in Christ, a fellow former slave to sin who had been set free to serve a divine, holy Master for all eternity. But as we see in today’s scripture passage, Paul added to his already compelling plea by using words that invoked the very substitutionary, self sacrificial love and care Jesus had for the sinners of the world. Look again at the words of the Apostle here:

So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. Philemon 17-19

Here, Paul puts the cherry on the top of his blessed appeal as he intervenes for the case of Onesimus who he considered a son after spending so much time mentoring him while in prison in Rome. Knowing the state of his relationship with Philemon, even reminding his dear friend how his own salvation happened because of the Gospel teaching he gave Philemon in Ephesus, Paul boldly encourages the slave master to welcome his slave home as he would if it was the Apostle himself.

Further, if there was any debt that Onesimus owed, Paul obligated himself to pay it with the promise of repayment. We shouldn’t be so short sighted to believe this was all about money. For as mentioned, no one would be surprised if Philemon arranged for Onsesimus’ execution once he was back in Colossae. No matter the nature of the arrears, the Apostle vowed to cover it.

Friends, in Paul we are seeing the very nature of Jesus on full display. For as we consider how far Jesus was willing to go to cover the debt all sinners owed God but could never pay, we find a willingness to bear every bit of the Father’s wrath to spare others from having to.

On the cross, Jesus purchased our debt and paid it in full, providing anyone who believes in Him to have a clean slate - forgiven, justified, and washed white as snow while enjoying a peace with God that they could not establish on their own. Once destined for Hell, they were now guaranteed to inherit the very Kingdom of God as a co-heir with Christ.  

This is the place that Paul, Philemon, and Onesimus were in as the Apostle wrote this letter. Each of them had their sin debt covered and was on their way to a glorious eternal life in Heaven. And because of the reconciling work of Jesus, they, as Christians, were to forgive and pardon just as they had been forgiven and pardoned.

In this new year and in every year afterwards while we are blessed with life on this earth, let us, as Christians, remember how Jesus covered our debts to save us and be just as willing to forgive and pardon others likewise.  

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.