Thursday, October 8, 2009

Giving A Second Chance

Giving A Second Chance
Paul's Epistle to Philemon


Introduction:


In the MSNBC news website, a fascinating story caught my attention and I would like to share it with you this morning. It is the story of how the City of Naples in Italy helped ex-convicts reintegrate into society. We all know that criminals who have served their time and have been released into society usually find it hard to reintegrate and become positive contributors to society. Usually, these ex-convicts will find that people around them would reject them, would turn them down if they're applying for a job, and this would lead many to go back to their old ways. Not all criminals are hardened. In fact, many would like to have the chance to make things right once they're released from prison. The City of Naples is a major tourist destination but it also has its share of petty crime. What then was the solution to the problem? Mobilize the ex-convicts to become tourist assistants. Many of these ex-convicts preyed on tourists before but now the government has mobilized them to assist tourists in getting around the city, escorting them through bad neighborhoods, teaching tourists how to avoid being mugged and where they can find the best pizza in the city. Initially, some people criticized the government's move, saying that it was like putting the wolves in charge of the sheep, however, as six months have passed since the start of the experiment, none of the seventy convicts who were mobilized had committed any crime, and many tourists have written the government agency thanking the tour guides for a job well done. This scheme has somehow kept the crime rate down and has even boosted the economy of certain bad neighborhoods as these tour guides provide safety for tourists who go to these places to make purchases. Some citizens have already petitioned that the government agency increase the number of the tour guides as well as the number of hours each guide works. Currently, these tour guides work 20 hours a week and receive a monthly salary of €500 or US$ 725.00. Of course, not all ex-convicts will be accepted into the program – only those who are not serious offenders (rapists, murderers, mobsters) are accepted into the program. Nevertheless, the program has given more tourist income to Naples and new hope for the 70 ex-convicts who were given a second chance.

When I read this story, I was really impressed with how Naples readily took the chance on these ex-convicts in order to give them a new lease in life. While there was apprehension and even outrage initially, in the end, the program won over many people and also, helped these ex-convicts reintegrate into society much better. We all love to hear stories like thi
s, where people who have done wrong or are down and out are given a new lease in life. We also feel the nobility of the persons who extend second chances to others. However, what if you were directly the victim of an offense? How willing are you to give the offender a second chance? Maybe the offense wouldn't be considered as a crime by the standards of criminal law but nevertheless, it was an offense that hurt you to the core – maybe someone has slandered you and has tainted your reputation even though you are innocent of the false charges, or maybe someone has cheated you in business? What if the person who has wronged you was a fellow believer or maybe a member of your family? Would you be willing to forgive him or her if he or she asked for forgiveness from you? Or would you continue to hold a grudge against that person and even think of ways of getting back at that person?

In this morning's passage, which is the entire letter of Paul to Philemon, we find a case that was a common occurrence or offense during Paul's time. Of course, the society had a common response. However, in Paul's letter to Philemon, we find Paul asking Philemon to respond to the offense differently, in a manner no less similar to how God would treat us as offenders of his commandments. We are going to spend the rest of the time to unwrap this simple but heartwarming letter and learn some important lessons about forgiveness and giving people second chances.

Context:


The letter was specifically addressed to Philemon. Philemon most likely was a believer living in the city of Colossae as construed by the presence of one of Paul's co-worker named Archippus, who is also mentioned in the letter to Colossae. The letter is addressed to Philemon and then to Apphia, probably the wife of Philemon, and to Archippus who is most likely the son of Philemon and who served as the pastor of the
house church that meets in the home of Philemon.

Philemon was probably a man who had some material wealth and he was the owner of a slave named Onesimus. Now, slavery during the time of Paul is vastly different from the slavery that we read of in America and England. The slaves during the 17th to 19th century were brought to England and America from Africa and they were made to work in plantations. These slaves were usually uneducated. However, slavery during the time of the Bible was more closer to the concept of the employer and employee, where many slaves were usually highly-s
killed people, except that they were exclusively owned and were the property of their masters. Since slaves were usually treated as property rather than as human beings, there was the tendency for some masters to be harsh toward their slaves. Ancient history recorded that there have been slave uprisings resulting from their poor treatment such as depicted in an old film entitled “Spartacus”. In today's passage, we see no indication of harshness on the part of Philemon towards Onesimus so we are not certain as to the reason why Onesimus fled from his master, but what is apparent is that, in leaving, Onesimus probably also stole some valuables in order to sustain him in his flight. What is also apparent from the passage was that Onesimus, prior to his conversion, was not living up to the meaning of his name - “useful”; this may give us an idea also to how Philemon may have treated him – not necessarily with harshness but probably demanding him to perform his job well and this could have triggered the desire to flee.

Onesimus fled to the big city, probably for him to easily blend into the crowd and not get easily arrested by slave-hunters who may be hired for a price in order to recover runaway slaves. There was the likelihood that Onesimus ended up in the city of Rome. I am not certain as to how he met the apostle Paul who was under house arrest at that time, however, he did meet up with him, probably in a moment of desperation, and at that moment, he became a believer of Christ, and real change took place in his life, such that he was now living up to his name. In fact, Onesimus had become a valuable assistant in Paul's ministry (v. 11).

It probably didn't take long before Onesimus began entertaining the thought of returning back home to his master in order to make amends with him. He knew that he had done wrong and most likely, Paul may have encouraged him to go back. However, as much as Onesimus wanted to go back and make things right, he knew that his master had the authority to punish him severely for his crime. Slave owners back then were known for being severe to runaway slaves and if Philemon chose to be severe, it was well within the rights granted him by the Roman Empire with regards to runaway slaves. In fact, it was common for slave owners to kill runaway slaves as punishment. Thus, Paul sent Onesimus back together with a letter which we now know as the epistle to Philemon and in it, he appeals for the case of Onesimus. There are three things that Paul asked from Philemon in his treatment of Onesimus. Let us examine what these three things are.

I. Consider the Offender As Being Dear (v. 16)


Paul asked Philemon to consider Onesimus, the one who offended him, as being dear to him. Prior to his fleeing from Philemon, Onesimus was not a believer; he was not a part of the family of God. However, after his conversion, he had become a member of the family of God and he was now a brother in Christ to Paul and also to Philemon. Thus, Paul exhorted Philemon to accept him back because he was not just an ordinary slave but he was also a brother in Christ. Although the Lord Jesus and the apostle Paul never taught about abolishing slavery, here we find that the dividing wall between master and slave being torn down as a new relationship, the relationship of brothers and sisters in the Lord, taking supremacy over an earthly relationship. The master-slave relationship was temporary but the brotherhood in Christ was for all eternity, thus what Philemon was getting back was way much better than a slave.

Like Philemon, we are to hold dear those who belong to the faith, even if they may have offended us. I know that at times it is hard to love a fellow believer when they have committed an offense against us; It is the normal response of fallen human beings like you and I to just ignore them or to even fight back. However, even though we feel the effects of the fall, we also have the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit at work in our hearts and he enables us to love even those who are unlovable. We must also remember at all times that when a fellow believer offends us, he is still a member of God's family and God still treats him dearly even when he is unlovable. If God treats every true believer with tenderness and love, we should do the same for each other.

II. Welcome Back the Offender (v. 17)

The second thing that Paul desires for Philemon to do was to welcome back Onesimus. The word “welcome” is not just an instance or manner of greeting someone; it is to greet someone in a friendly way, to accept someone gladly and with open arms. In other words, Paul wished for Philemon not to accept Onesimus back begrudgingly but with friendliness and goodwill. Philemon is to be like the loving father who, upon seeing the prodigal son, gladly takes him into his arms and bestows love upon him.


So often, when a brother who has offended us come back in repentance, we don't behave like the loving father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son but, instead, we behave just like the older brother who looks at his younger brother with disdain and blames his father for loving him. In fact, if given a choice, most of us probably don't want to see the offender or if we do see him, we want to make sure that we are a long-distance away from him, where we won't be forced to converse with him. But that was not how Paul would want Philemon to behave towards Onesimus nor would Paul want for Philemon to be harsh to him, but instead, he encouraged Philemon to welcome him back with gladness. In fact, he was to welcome Onesimus as if he were welcoming Paul himself, to extend the same kindness and love to his runaway slave who was returning back to make amends and to be subject again to his master.

When people who have offended you return to you in repentance, we must welcome them and treat them with the same kindness and love that Christ extended to us. Extend the hand of friendship to them, give them a tight hug or embrace. Show them that you still care for them and you love them and that you are more than willing to forgive their offense, and this leads us to the final thing Paul instructed Philemon to do in relating with Onesimus.

III. Forgive His Debt (vv. 18 - 19)


Paul asked on behalf of Onesimus that whatever the latter owed Philemon, he would be willing to pay on his behalf. In other words, Paul was asking Philemon to forgive the offense Onesimus committed and if there were any material or financial loss incurred, he was more than willing to pay for it. Paul then goes on to remind Philemon that the latter actually owed him a bigger debt, for it was Paul who shared the gospel to him and it was through Paul's ministry that he became a follower of Christ (v. 19).

When we suffer offense from other believers, the debt may or may not be material in nature. Not every loss that we've suffered has a monetary price tag; however, forgiveness is possible when we remember that God himself forgave us of the debt that we could not pay up, and that God has also forgiven the one who has offended us through Christ, the same way through which we were also forgiven.

We are all called to be forgiving, especially towards those who belong to the faith, if they have offended us, and when they have come to us in repentance. We are not to have any grudges against them but we must willingly forgive because we belong to the same family – the family of God. There is a saying that goes, “blood is thicker than water.” What it means is that the family relationship must be of a stronger bond than any other relationship. This should especially be true for Christians because we belong to God's eternal family and we should hold on to our bonds more tightly than anything else. Thus, forgiveness must be an essential to keep the bonds strong.

Two Foundations Necessary for Forgiveness:


We have talked about how Philemon was supposed to treat Onesimus when he returns to him. We know that he was to (1) Consider Onesimus as being dear, (2) He must welcome him back gladly, and (3) he must forgive his debt. Don't think that these three things are easy to do. In fact, they are quite difficult if you have been hurt deeply by the offender. However, I would like to just briefly discuss about the two foundations necessary for offering forgiveness to others. It is also found in the text and these two foundations are existing in Philemon's heart, which would probably give Paul the confidence that Philemon will heed his word. Let's look at verse 5. Here, Paul talked about Philemon's faith in Christ as well as his love for all the saints. Philemon had an outstanding reputation as a believer in Christ. In fact, the verb “hear” is in the present tense and it could well imply that Paul, whenever he received news from the believers in Colossae, would constantly be hearing of good reports regarding Philemon.

Philemon had faith in Jesus Christ for his salvation; he knew what it was like to experience grace. He was also living out his faith everyday through his words and actions. Not only that, he was constantly manifesting love not just for some but for all of the saints. In fact, the love that he was constantly showing was a great source of refreshment for all the saints and this has brought about great joy and encouragement to Paul. Here was a person who was constantly maturing in his walk with the Lord. He has probably gone through his share of trials and testings and has triumphed. Philemon was no baby Christian but he was probably someone whom the church looked up to, someone whom the believers acknowledged as being in the level of a spiritual father. So, the case with Onesimus was going to be a test of his faith and love. Paul had great confidence that Philemon would triumph, that he would be more than willing to forgive and accept Onesimus (v. 21); it is because Philemon was constantly growing in his faith.

Conclusion:

This morning, we've examined the entire letter of Paul to Philemon and we have learned that we may have been offended by other believers should be willing to (1) consider the offender as someone dear, since he is dear to the Lord, (2) welcome the offender back willingly, and (3) forgive the offender's debt or offense against you. For you to be able to do this, I urge all of you to grow in your faith in Christ, in knowledge and wisdom as well as through your words and actions; grow also in your love for others such that it gives refreshment to them and encouragement for others to follow in your pattern.


Maybe there is someone in the congregation that you haven't been in good standing for quite some time. I think it is about time that you let all the hostility cease. If you have wronged someone, repent of your sins before God and sincerely apologize to the person you've wronged. If you have been offended, then be willing to forgive just as Christ has forgiven you. I pray we will all do that.