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22 THE LOOP - A MAGAZINE OF CENTRAL COMMUNITY CHURCH
a devotional from the new testament
book of philemon
BY JAMES MACdONALd
“Accordingly, though i am bold enough in christ to command you to do what is required,
yet for love’s sake i prefer to appeal to you - i, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also
for christ Jesus - i appeal to you for my child, onesimus, whose father i became in my
imprisonment. (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and
to me.) i am sending him back to you, sending my very heart.” ~ Philemon 1:8-12
Paul was
not just the
g r e a t e s t
theologian
the church
has ever
known, he
was actually
a relational genius. By the end
of his life, he seems to have mastered
the concept that so often
gets us sideways: It is not enough
to believe the right things. The
challenge is consistently putting
those things we believe into practice
in the ways we relate to the
people around us. Paul helped
Philemon with that challenge.
If we look at our lives for a
moment we would acknowledge
that if we’re sideways, more
often than not, it’s relational
rather than theological. We can
believe the right things but really
be struggling to put them into
MAkE ThE APPEAl
practice in our families and our
friendships.
Everybody knows that someone
who knows everything that the
Bible teaches, but can’t forgive
their son. We not only want to be
truth people, but also to see that
truth actually lived out in the way
we relate to one another. Paul was
exemplary in that.
So why is it so difficult to put into
practice the theology we know to
be true? Because we’re selfish.
We tend to think about what will
benefit us most of the time. And,
when we are selfish, Romans 2:8
warns, “But for those who are
self-seeking and do not obey the
truth, but obey unrighteousness,
there will be wrath and fury.” Not
good. God wants us to put others
first by doing what benefits them
over what benefits us. And, if all
this selfishness is translating into
relational strife, God wants to see
people reconciled.
The heart of the Gospel is reconciliation.
God doesn’t want
anybody at odds with anyone.
God wants everyone humbling
themselves and getting along.
Sometimes communication can
break down: She’s not listening
LOvE
IS THE HIGHEST LAW
to him anymore and he doesn’t
trust her anymore and so on.
Somebody who has the confidence
of both of the people may
have to stick themselves in the
middle and bring that together. I
want you to do that. It’s what Paul
is doing here in this passage of
Philemon.
It is stunning that there’s a whole
little book in the New Testament
that’s not about anything else
but helping people reconcile.
It’s called Philemon. It gives
directions for when you’re on
good terms with two people and
they’re not on good terms with
each other. So, what are you supposed
to do?
First, make your request about
reconciliation an appeal, not a
requirement. Paul has written
this letter to Philemon. Does Paul
love Philemon? He sure does.
Philemon 4-7 expresses thankfulness
for Philemon, encouragement
for further ministry, and
personal joy from knowing him.
I mean, Paul loves this guy. But
notice that love does not necessarily
mean that you don’t have to
challenge somebody about something.
Because now in Philemon
8 he says, “Accordingly, though I
am bold enough in Christ to command
you to do what is required
. . .” And the authority should
be respected. But notice that the
godly leader—and Paul as the
exemplary one—doesn’t exercise
that authority carelessly. He
could say, “Hey! Hey! I’m bold
enough. I have courage enough.
I have position enough. I have
confidence enough to command
you to do this!”
He could do that. But notice he
says in verse 9, “. . . yet for love’s
sake.” This isn’t about orders;
it’s about love. He says, “I want
to submit my behavior to the
highest Law. As I choose how
to handle this—as I decide how
to conduct myself—I don’t just
want to act out of my position.”
There is something higher than
our position, men. There is something
higher than our position,
moms. There is something higher
than our position, pastors. There
is love. And love is the highest
law.
I love that word. Underline it in
your Bible. “Yet for love’s sake,
I prefer to appeal” (v.7). “I’m
choosing.” That word appeal is
a fantastic word too. It means
to beg; to plead; to unburden
your heart with all of the emotional
capacity that you have.
I could demand you to do
this, but instead—because of
love—I want to appeal to you.
So when love leads you to
approach two arguing children,
friends, or whatever relationship
God puts before you, don’t just
command them to get along.
Make an appeal.
JOURNAL:
How will I use what Paul is
teaching me today?
In what relationships would it be
helpful for me to make an appeal
for reconciliation?
PRAYER:
Father in heaven, I see You
more clearly every time I see
Your heart for unity. Help me
to see the relationships in my
life that are ripe for reconciliation
and help me approach the
parties involved with love and
a sincere appeal. I’ll leave the
rest up to You, Lord. In Jesus’
name, Amen.
Taken from Our Journey by James
MacDonald, copyright November,
2012 by James MacDonald. Used by
permission of Walk in the Word, Elgin,
IL 60123. All rights reserved.