Words for Worship

Ministry Today

Apparently there is

at least one silver lining

to the rapidly increasing

food prices.

 

And that is farmers

are getting more income

from their crops.

 

As a result tractor sales

are at the highest

in Britain

for many years.

 

Now I bet you wondering

why I am waffling on

about tractors.

 

Well the reason is

that the Roman Empire

did not have the benefit

of the internal combustion engine –

instead it used slave labour.

 

In fact, there were

around 60 million of them.  

 

And so imperial policies and laws

regarding slaves

were as important back then

as say

the common agricultural policy

or oil resources are today.

 

Therefore the nascent church

got involved

with the issue of slave owning

at its peril.

 

However, that was exactly

what Paul did

in his only surviving personal letter

written about AD 62.

 

It is to a slave owner

called Philemon

and it is about a run away slave

called Onesimus.

 

But knowing

the sensitivity

of the whole issue,

Paul starts by using

the exaltation

to remind Philemon

not just his obligations

through his obedience to Christ

but also the personal progress

he has made

under his own

heavenly master’s gentle hand.

 

Here then to read to us is…………………..

 

Anthem

However, having got

on the right side

of the undoubtedly wronged Philemon,

Paul then strikes

whilst the iron his hot.

For he goes on to

the big ask.

 

Let’s hear Paul’s request

in his own words.

 

They will be read to us by………………..

 

 

HYMN……………..

 

They say you should

not be deceived by appearance.

 

And that is certainly true

of Bill Gates

the owner of the Microsoft Corporation.

 

For he may richer

than the Rockefellers

and the Rothschild’s together,

more powerful than Genghis Khan

but it is difficult

not think

of the milky bar kid

when you see him.

 

And this deception

by appearances

has been a problem

with Paul’s letter to Philemon.

 

For despite it being

 Authentically by Paul,

it is too often disregarded.

 

Indeed, one commentator

said that it contained

neither a theological development

nor ethical principle

worthy of note.

 

Why is this?

 

Well of course

it is a short personal text

and can be read through

in a few moments.

 

Yet here are its strengths as well.

 

For there is no difficult argument

to follow

and the fact

it is written

one to one

means it can be personal to us too.

 

Let’s then see

why it remains

in our new testaments

and what it has to say to us

individually now.

 

And we will start by looking

at the situation

to which the letter refers

from the slave’s point of view.

 

Of course, we cannot

know now

why Onesimus ran away.

 

Maybe, he was being ill treated,

maybe he wanted

a young man’s freedom

and probably

he had nicked something

from his owner.

 

Certainly, life

could be very hard

for a slave in the Roman Empire.

 

He or she was a chattel

and entirely

at the disposal of his owner.

 

In fact, Virgil tells of one

who was thrown

to the lampreys

because he dropped

a crystal goblet.

 

Similarly, a run away

could well be branded

on his or her return

both to mark them

for the future

and as a warning to others.

 

For the Roman Imperial rulers

were frightened

of a slaves' revolt

probably more than

any other conflict.  

 

In other words, Onesimus

had very real fears

of going back

to this master.

 

Yet, Paul considered

he had to do so.

 

It was the law

and the new Christianity

was keen not to be seen

as encouraging law-breaking

or worst still

rebellion.

 

Moreover, no matter

how strange

to our ears today,

Paul may also have felt

that the slave

had been called

to be where

he had been put.

 

However not knowing

the exact nub of the problem,

should not cloud

Paul’s letter’s teach

to us today.

 

Because here we see

a timely reminder

of a problematic fact of life.

 

And that is

there are occasions

when we must decided

between two options.

 

One course is usually easy,

the other is difficult

maybe even painful.

 

However, the first

is also invariably wrong

and the second,

we know in our heart of hearts,

is the right thing to do.

 

And this was

the very situation

that Paul was talking about.  

 

For he is saying –

You stand at a cross roads –

you can keep on running

and hiding and fearing.

 

But you can also

do what you know

you should do

deep down.

 

And if you choose correctly –

there will be pain –

but the very real presence

of the risen Christ

will go with you,

will give you courage

and you will ultimately benefit.

 

 

Indeed there may be proof

of this

in the life of our run away slave.  

 

For the famous early martyr

Ignatius of Antioch

refers to a bishop Onesimus

in one of his letters.

 

Now this name

was quite common

amongst slaves,

yet some scholars

are sure it was Paul’s friend

that became

a much respected Christian leader;

evidence then

that Christ glories those

who glorify him

by their choices.

 

But what about Philemon?

 

We can’t help feeling

he is left with

the heal end of the loaf.

 

A bit like ko-ko

in the Mikado

who,

on being lumbered

with the unattractive Katisha

to save his and others skins sings –

oh bother the flowers

that bloom in the spring.

 

Because, Philemon too found himself

in a ticklish situation.

 

As a possibly relatively rich slave owner,

he had his other slaves discipline

to think of.

 

He also would not wish

to be thought dangerously lenient

by his social circle.

 

Further, as the wronged party

who was to guarantee

he would not be wronged again

maybe even

with a greater loss of property?

 

Yet he seemed

a good hearted man.

 

Not only that, but he seems

to be under some obligation

to Paul.

 

So much so, he was open

to a degree of arm-twisting

from the apostle.

 

Moreover, he was now a Christian

and therefore

under a clear command

to recognise in Onesimus

a fellow believer

and even brother.  

 

Not therefore

an enviable situation

and one in all honesty

we have no idea

how he responded too.

 

Yet the more important point

is to ourselves.

 

For, just as we have

from time to time

to choose the difficult course,

we are also sometimes

on the receiving end

of such choices.

 

On occasion,

although being wronged

and aggrieved,

we are called

to accept an apology,

a return or a retreat.

 

We are so called often

without a guarantee

that there will be

no future reoccurrence

and usually

without any real restitution.

 

However, once more

here is no doubt

that we know too

our right course.

 

And it is then

the presence of Christ

will soften us,

ameliorate our hurt

and help us to re-find

a brother or sister

with all the ambiguities

those relationships possess.

 

There is however

another character

in the letter to Philemon

who is instructive

by his conduct.

 

And that is none other

than Paul himself.

 

For, it was he

who obviously

brought the crux

of the decision

that Onesimus had to make

to his attention.

 

So to it was he

who took on the role

of clarifying the slave’s case

to Philemon’s plus

his obligations under Christ.

 

Here then is another situation

that we too

often find ourselves;

the position of helping

those who are astray

to make the right decision

however painful.

 

The position also of helping

one who has been the wronged

to come to terms

with the injustice

through the spirit of compromise,

of mercy

and familial feeling

that is essential

to followers of Christ Jesus.

 

However, such a role

is not without

its risk of pain.

 

For as many

of our armed forces

know to their cost –

the role of peacemaker

often is dangerous

not just from

the slings and arrows

of one side

but both simultaneously.

 

Nevertheless,

let me not try to persuade you

and myself

to such an onerous task

purely with the example

of Paul before us.

 

Because, although

many have failed

to see the treasure

in Paul’s letter to Philemon,

none other than Martin Luther

did not make

the same mistake.

 

In fact, he saw

in Paul’s mediation

the very purpose and mission

of Christ himself.

 

In other words, this letter highlights

Jesus who obligates

the run away to return

to the wronged

and rightful owner.  

 

But now the slave is ourselves

and the gracious master

is our God and creator.

 

The very one

so often deserted

and avoided

yet through Christ’s saving reconciliation

we can again delight

in calling–

Abba and father;

great and God;

our Lord and our God.

 

 

 

There was once a little boy

who decided he wanted

to find God.  

 

He knew it would probably

be a long trip,

so he decided

to pack a lunch of biscuits

and two cans of cola.

 

He set out on his journey

and went a few blocks

until he came to a park.

 

On one of the park benches

sat an old woman

looking at the pigeons.

 

The little boy sat down

beside her

and watched the pigeons too.  

 

When he grew hungry,

he pulled out some biscuits.

 As he ate,

he noticed the woman watching him,

so he offered her one.

 

She accepted it gratefully

and smiled at him.  

He thought she had

the most beautiful smile

in the world.

 

Wanting to see it again,

he opened a can of cola

and offered her the other one.  

 

Once again she smiled

that beautiful smile.

 

For a long time

the two sat on that park bench

eating and drinking,

smiling at each other,

and watching the pigeons.

 

 Neither said a word.  

 

Finally, the little boy

realized that it was getting late

and he needed to go home.  

 

He started to leave,

took a few steps,

turned back

and gave the woman a big hug.  

 

Her smile was brighter

than ever before.

 

When he arrived home,

his mother noticed

that he was happy,

but strangely quiet.  

'What did you do today?'

she asked.

 

 'Oh, I had lunch in the park

with God,' he said.  

 

Before his mother could reply,

he added,

know, she has

the most beautiful smile

in the world.'

 

Meanwhile, the old woman

left the park

and returned to her home.

 

Her son noticed

something different about her.  

 

'What did you do today, Mum?'

he asked.  

'Oh, I ate biscuits and drank cola

in the park with God."  

 

And before her son

could say anything at all,

she added,

'You know, God's a lot younger

than I imagined.'"

 

Here then is a story

of the letter of Philemon.

 

For if you are facing

a difficult even unpleasant decision

about the right way today,

then you need to find God.

 

If on the other hand

you face accepting

another’s decision

which is right for them

but demanding of you –

they you too need to find God.

 

However, if need neither

then be like the little boy

to the old woman,

be like the old woman

to the little boy

and indeed

be like Paul.

 

Put bluntly, help those

in need

find their saving God in you.

 

 

Offering

 

HYMN………

 

 

 

 

Dear Philemon