Sermon Recap: Philemon

This Sunday at Heritage United Methodist Church in Clearwater, I walked into the sanctuary feeling the comfort of entering a familiar and peaceful place.  I wasn’t expecting Philemon (which I learned I have mispronounced my entire life, by the way).  As I sat in service, I honestly could not recall if I’d ever read Philemon.  Lucky for me, it was a quick read!

In the simple beauty of a short letter—just one chapter—Paul speaks into a profoundly awkward moment: a former slave named Onesimus, who mostly likely had stolen from Philemon and run away, is now walking back into his life. Somehow, Onesimus and Paul crossed paths in prison and Onesimus became a follower of Jesus.  Now, he is returning home, escorted by Paul’s friend, Tychicus.  Have you ever screwed up big time and then returned to the scene of the crime? And better yet, returned to the scene of the crime as a changed person? It’s a moment that must have been filled with tension, fear, maybe even anger. Yet Paul doesn’t demand payment or punishment. He appeals “on the basis of love,” urging Philemon to welcome Onesimus not as a slave, but as a dear brother in Christ.  Paul even offers to personally pay any debt Onesimus might still owe.  He vouched for Onesimus. 

This is the Gospel in action. That tension, the awkwardness, the invitation to forgiveness... it’s all around us. In our workplaces, our families, sometimes even within the hearts of those we love. And just like Philemon, we’re given a choice: demand justice, or extend grace. Just as God reconciled us to Himself through Jesus, He calls us to be reconciled to one another.  And that is hard.  It’s rarely easy.  It’s humbling, costly, awkward – but it’s worth it.  It’s life changing.

Pastor Matt painted a vision of reconciliation for us: a brother sitting across the table from the one who hurt him. No wanted posters. No retribution. Instead, love—radical, costly, beautiful love.

Historical tradition suggests that Onesimus later became the Bishop of Ephesus.  A man born in slavery becoming a spiritual leader of one of the most important churches in the early Christian world.

Pastor Matt closed the sermon with a challenge:  If you think you’re not the kind of person God can use, think again.  God specializes in taking unlikely people and using them for extraordinary purposes.  If he can use Onesimus, He can use you.

If you missed the service, you can find it HERE.