When someone we know and care for are coming for a visit, how do we feel? What are our plans, and what do we think about? Let's imagine for a moment that someone is coming to visit us who just sent us a letter requesting that we forgive someone who has harmed us in the past? What if they ask us to not only forgive them, but also to do more for them than forgive? Now how do we feel about their visit? Whatever our feelings and thoughts are, they must be some of what Philemon thought as he read this letter from Paul. Philemon has just read twenty-one lines that asked him to forgive and receive Onesimus his runaway servant and a thief. Now Paul begins to close this letter by letting Philemon know that he intends to come for a visit. He wrote in verse twenty-two:
But meanwhile prepare me also a lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you.
Paul writes, “prepare me also a lodging:”. In other words, Paul is coming for a visit, but remember, Paul is writing this letter from prison. This is a statement of faith. We do not know if Paul ever visited Philemon, but whether he did or not, we find in this statement a closeness to Philemon that is presumed upon even though Paul has just made such an intercession for Onesimus. This shows a closeness to Philemon that was trusted even if Paul's request was not well received.
Paul adds, “for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you.” In other words, Paul says I know you are praying for me Philemon, and I hope to be out of prison soon because of your prayers. Then I will come and visit you. What a warrior of the faith Paul was. Would to God we would all have this sort of faith. First, that we would have the confidence toward fellow believers that they would heed difficult requests. Then that we could assume that they will be happy to see us even if we give them a trying task, and then to presume that they would be praying for us to be released so that we could go and visit them. Preparing, praying, and expecting would be the presumptive themes by which Paul knew Philemon would abide.
Do we prepare for others to visit us each day? Perhaps it is someone known, or perhaps it is a stranger, but do we prepare for them? Do we pray for those we know or do not know who might be visiting us today? What about expectation? Do we await with expectation for those to whom God will bring our way today? Maybe meditating upon this verse will help us to consider how we are to be in this world among those to whom we make requests and to those who cross our paths. Our preparations for today's visits will make us more ready to receive people than if we remain idle and oblivious to those whom the Lord Jesus may bring into our paths.
Next time we will continue the final salutations of Paul to Philemon, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow...there is more...
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