How many times have we been asked to pay a tab or a bill for someone else? Has there been a time when we were left owing money when we had nothing to do with receiving the benefit? Such is the case accepted by Paul the apostle today for Onesimus. Paul wrote to Philemon:
If he has wronged you, or owes you anything, put that on my account;
We have watched and studied as we have been through this book verse by verse the intercession of Paul the apostle for Onesimus who was a runaway servant and a thief. Onesimus is now a Christian, and he is being returned to his owner Philemon who is more than likely greatly displeased with Onesimus. Philemon has been wronged, and he is rightfully due whatever was stolen from him by Onesimus. But, Paul uses these words to engage Philemon, “If he has wronged you”. “If”? Paul uses the word “if”? Yes, and in it we see the intervening that Paul continues to employ as he writes to Philemon on Onesimus' behalf. Onesimus is guilty, and he should be punished or put to death. Onesimus has wronged Philemon, and he does owe him, yet Paul writes “or owes you anything”. It is almost as if Paul has determined that there is nothing that Onesimus owes at all.
Paul then does something that we rarely see today. He writes, “put that on my account.” Now if we are parents we are particularly used to having the expenses of someone else put on our account, but Onesimus is a guilty runaway slave and a thief. Paul is interceding for him? Yes, and he is interceding to the point that he is willing for it to cost himself personally should the need arise. Paul is willing to pay the price for another man's wrongs and debts. This should remind we Bible students of someone else who did this...Jesus.
John the apostle wrote in the book of First John in chapter two and verse two speaking of Jesus:
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world.
Jesus Christ came into the world to pay for the sins of every person. He is the “propitiation” or “the means of appeasing” the Heavenly Father for all of our sins. We were wrong. We owed a debt, and Jesus basically said, “Put it on my account”. If we have ever had someone pay for something that was our fault or our tab so to speak, we know the gratefulness we have toward them. But what about Jesus? Jesus paid the price of death for our wrongs. Jesus paid the penalty of death for our debt, and now all He asks is that we believe in Him and accept Him as Lord and Savior? Yes, and we would do well to think deeply about Jesus' sacrifice the next time we have to pay the bill for someone else.
Paul was interceding to the point of it costing him something, and Jesus did too. For Paul, it might cost a little money. For Jesus, it cost him His life. Each of these consist of restoring relationships, and each of them are models for the manner in which we too should live.
Next time we will see Paul put it in writing that he will pay the debt owed by Onesimus, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow...there is more...
Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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