“Once a Slave, But Never Again”

Scripture: Philemon :8-18

Since the earliest days of human existence, slavery has been a way of life for many in this world. From the 16th and 21st chapters of Genesis, we read about Hagar, Sarai’s slave, and how she and her son Ishmael were used, mistreated, and then cast off. Throughout scripture, we read of other slaves – who they were, how they were treated, how they should have been treated, and, in spite of their human condition, how they contributed to the spread of the Christian faith.
In Galatians 3:26-29, we are told that “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
We also know that slavery is not just a condition of human ownership, but one of personal obsession. Many have become slaves to alcohol, or tobacco, or pornography, or drugs, or their jobs, or any number of other addictions, and none of these are good things.

But Matthew 20:26-28 tells us that “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Slavery, it appears, can be seen as either a blight on human life, or as a blessing to others. In God’s eyes, when we are forced into slavery for the benefit of others, it is a sin, but when we freely give ourselves as an act of Christian faith, we are commended.

Read Philemon 1:8-11

So who is this Onesimus, and just as importantly, who is Philemon? At one time, the two men had a relationship – that of slave and master – but apparently that bond had been broken. Onesimus, it is presumed, is a run-away slave, and his former owner, Philemon, probably had no idea of his whereabouts until receiving this letter from the apostle Paul. He could have legally demanded that the slave be returned to his service without question, and it would have happened with a great deal of pain for the slave.
But should he? Would he?

Paul lets Philemon know that he could order his friend to do what is right, but that he won’t. He will leave the final response up to him, but that the apostle intends to advocate for this new brother - not from a legal basis, but from one that is grounded in love. So before we continue with our passage, let’s take a moment to consider the implications of the statement – “I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I appeal to you on the basis of love.”
Why is this Paul’s preferred way to broach a very difficult and tenuous situation? And why is this attitude so important for a Christian in the 21st century, especially when we are told that we are to be bold in our faith (2 Corinthians 3:12-18)? I believe that we are called to boldness in that we are not to be ashamed of our faith (Romans 1:16-17), we are not to shy away from our faith, and we are not to hide our love of Jesus Christ and his gospel. That is a good boldness.
But when we become arrogant in our faith, when we badger others into making a hollow confession for Jesus, when we berate others for their lack of faith or even for having a shallow faith, that is a boldness that the Lord tells us to avoid. Jesus’ words in Mark’s gospel (Mark 7:20-23) tells us that arrogance is evil, that it is an unclean act, that it is a sin. Not boldness, but arrogance!

And Paul is letting Philemon know that he will not be bold in this way, but that he will be bold in advocating for his run-away slave who will soon be returning home.

Read Philemon 1:12-18

The lifelong United Methodist author Barbara Wendland writes:
"Biblical faith says you are God's partner. To [the Lord], you aren't a slave whose only duty is to do what you are told. You aren't even an employee who agrees to do work in exchange for pay. You are a real partner whom God invites to share the responsibility for carrying out [his] plan for the world ....
God coming to you in Jesus gives you the freedom to be who you are: [his] partner .... God's coming to you in Jesus, however, is not a demand. It is an invitation. God doesn't tell you, “This is what you must be!” God says instead, “This is what you can be!”
So when you encounter Jesus, you can say not only, “There God is”, but also, “There I am”."
--Barbara Wendland and Stanley Menking, God's Partners: Lay Christians at Work (Valley Forge, Penn.: Judson Press, 1993), 2, 54.

Faith isn’t a condition of slavery – it’s a choice for relationship. Faith isn’t a situation where God demands and we respond, where God hands down a law and we are obligated to observe it, where Jesus sets the perfect standard and expects that we will live that same perfect life. It is a walk together, us with our Triune God, with a willingness to serve in his name, and with the Spirit enabling us to do the most marvelous things, and with Jesus gaining and winning salvation for us though his redemptive act at Calvary, and expecting only that we will believe in him as Lord God Almighty.

Paul’s advocacy for Onesimus isn’t out of obligation, and it certainly isn’t a justification for his fleeing from service to his master. He offers Philemon the fact that Onesimus is now more than just a slave – that he is the master’s brother in Christ, and as such, they are now partners in faith.

But the world would have us believe that a slave can never be a partner! The master orders, the slave responds. Period! As partners, they must work together, each with their own responsibilities and abilities, but working with one purpose and one vision. And in gentle boldness, Paul reminds Philemon what this relationship must be about.
Paul knows that he cannot let Onesimus stay with him without Philemon’s agreement – that it is only right that he return home. Of course, it would be Philemon’s perfect right, legally, to deal with the returned slave in a very harsh manner. But Paul begs him to treat the man as he might treat the apostle – who is seen as a brother! And how could any Christian possibly justify the treatment of a brother or sister in faith in a harsh way?

Have you ever felt as though you were being treated like a slave? In a human relationship? In a work relationship? In a faith relationship? In the secular world, there are still many slaves, and I expect that this will never change. There is the bondage type of slaves, who are forced to serve others for little or no compensation, and who have no way out. There is relational slavery, where one person treats the other with absolutely no respect and imposes great demands and unreasonable expectations on their “slave”. There is religious slavery, where a person is refused any self determination or faith expression other than that which is dictated by the hierarchy.

In Christ, there are no slaves, and as a matter of fact, even though Jesus’ words in Matthew 23:11 tells us that “The greatest among you will be your servant.”, and in John 12:26 “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.” But in John 15:15, we read “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
From a slave in the world,to a servant of God, and finally to being a friend of Jesus! That is how the Lord sees us, and if we are friends and brothers and sisters to Jesus, then we had better be friends and brothers and sisters to each other. That’s what a relationship about, that is what a partnership is about, that is what friendship is about.

Do you treat others as friends and partners? Would they describe their relationship with you that way? If not, why not, and what are you going to do about it? Paul tells Philemon “If you consider me a partner, welcome him [Onesimus] as you would welcome me.” Do we truly treat others as our partners in faith? This means that we are to do what is best for all concerned, and not what is best for our self.
Paul would have preferred that Onesimus stay with him. He was in prison, and was, most likely, getting older and drawing closer to execution. As such, he could certainly use any help that he could get. But it was only right that Onesimus return to his home, to begin anew in his service as a Christian, and to be welcomed by his “owner” - no longer as a slave, though, but as a brother.

It wasn’t about Paul’s needs, and it wasn’t even about Philemon’s rights – it was about God’s call on Onesimus’ life.
Even though Paul may not have understood the reasons for his action, I believe that his decision to encourage the new brother to return was Spirit inspired. He wasn’t sending Onesimus back as a slave – he is going as his former master’s brother in faith, and as such, they have a ministry, a mission, to work and develop together.

Jesus never drives us to serve him, he never sees us as slaves that must do his bidding. He motivates us to seek his will for our lives, he encourages us in faith, he sets the example for living in this world, he calls us brothers and sisters and friends, and he leads us in every step we take. And we can never be slaves to the world again.
And we are to be the same for others – bold in our witness, gentle in our manner, and loving in our words. Relationships must be totally new, never again to enslave another in their life with us. Amen.