Philemon. I appeal to you (9) writes Paul from his imprisonment in Rome, to his friend Philemon who was a wealthy merchant and part founder of the church in Colossae. Philemon is a one-page letter, Paul’s personal request for kindness from an old friend.

It’s a big request – the life of an individual hangs in the balance. Philemon owned a slave, Onesimus, who appears to have stolen from his owner (18) or done something equally offensive and then run away. Onesimus – now branded as a runaway slave, flees more than 1000 miles to the city of Rome. Somehow, in Rome Onesimus meets Paul and then becomes a follower of Jesus Christ. Onesimus is changed by the truth of the gospel and becomes useful to Paul, even serving him during his imprisonment. Paul is very fond of Onesimus and who he has become because of his new life in Christ. Paul says, I would have been glad to keep him with me (10-13). Yet, Onesimus had this offense, unfinished business, and an estranged relationship with his former master and the church in Colossae.

Onesimus’ conversion to Christ greatly complicated his future – he knew he could not keep running from his responsibilities forever, but if he returned to his master, he risked immediate execution.  Paul writes a persuasive letter, using all his influence to persuade Philemon to welcome his runaway slave back and to treat him well.

Consider this – there are three characters in this drama – the offender, the offended, and the mediator.

The Offender (Onesimus). Have you ever been the one who did something wrong? And then the Lord is convicting you to ask for forgiveness? Yet, because of our pride, sometimes it is much harder for us to go 1-2 miles to apologize to someone, than for us to travel 1,000 miles to run away from them. This should not be. Matthew 5:23-24 reminds us that we must be quick to ask for forgiveness – it is an essential attribute of being a Jesus follower.

The Offended (Philemon). What about if we are the offended party like Philemon? You treat your neighbor nicely, but they steal from you. You give someone kindness and patience, but in return they wound you. You feel offended and hurt and then one day, you hear that this person wants to come back into your life again. What would you feel? What are you going to do? How will you treat him/her? What about justice? Can you welcome them back and still have boundaries to prevent additional wounds?

The Mediator (Paul). Have you ever tried to be the mediator between two aggrieved parties? It is a very complicated task. Sometimes no amount of explaining and praying can reconcile two parties – there’s only anger and bitterness and the mediator gets burned in the process of trying to put out the fire.

The story of Philemon and Onesimus is like the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15) – and both stories are reminders that God has welcomed us – the offenders – back home with arms full of grace. Paul says for love’s sake I appeal to you (9), asking you to welcome back the one who has wounded you because he has been transformed and has proven his character over time. Would you, Philemon, welcome Onesimus back and forgive his debts and embrace him as a changed man who desires to serve the Lord and the church with all his heart?

It’s a big ask. Whether you are the offender, the offended, or the mediator – being brave and transparent and full of courage is very challenging. Everything feels like a minefield and the correct response to things is difficult to sort out.

What happened to Onesimus? Did he deliver the letter and meet Philemon? I would argue that he did, and he was reconciled and forgiven – and due to the graciousness of Philemon, we have the letter as part of our New Testament today.