Linked to Change (Philemon)

 Sermon: “Linked to Change”

The letter to Philemon is short; so short, that it isn’t even divided up into chapters. 

It concerns only one thing: the fate of a slave named Onesimus. Philemon is the owner (or, master) of Onesimus, but somehow Onesimus has been separated from Philemon and is with Paul. Scholars think it’s likely that Onesimus ran away from Philemon; they think that Onesimus was a fugitive.

Paul writes to Philemon from prison. Onesimus may have been in prison with Paul. Onesimus may have even converted to Christianity while in prison, after getting to know Paul and hearing Paul talk about Jesus.

But then, I think, Onesimus was released from prison, because Paul decides to send Onesimus back to his owner, Philemon.

Paul wanted Onesimus to stay with him. Paul writes to Philemon that Onesimus had become very “useful” to him, which is a play on words, because the name Onesimus literally means, “useful.”

But, even though Paul wanted Onesimus to stay with him, Paul decides to send Onesimus back. 

Why? Why would Paul do that?

Well, it seems that Paul had a good relationship with Onesimus’ owner, Philemon,  and Paul didn’t want to upset Philemon. 

Paul wanted to honor their friendship.

But Paul also wanted Onesimus to be free. Paul didn’t want to send Onesimus back into slavery. I don’t think Paul wanted any person to be forced into slavery. I think Paul was adamantly anti-slavery.

Now, you might say: what about those verses where Paul says, Slaves, obey your masters…? Paul tells slaves to obey their masters in Ephesians, in Colossians, and elsewhere. 

Verses like these were used by slaveholders as evidence that the Bible supports slavery. Even Philemon was used by slaveholders to support slavery, since Paul did, in fact, send Onesimus back to his owner.

And Paul’s apparent approval of slavery makes some people hate Paul…

Howard Thurman has written about how his grandmother, Nancy Ambrose, often had him read the Bible to her, because she herself never learned how to read; but she wouldn’t allow him to read to her anything by the apostle Paul, except, once in awhile, 1 Corinthians 13… the “love” chapter.

In his book Jesus and the Disinherited, Thurman wrote that, one day, he asked his grandmother why she never wanted to hear from Paul. This is what she replied:

During the days of slavery, the master’s minister would occasionally hold services for the slaves. Old man McGhee was so mean that he would not let a Negro minister preach to his slaves. Always the white minister used as his text something from Paul. At least three or four times a year he used as his text: “Slaves, be obedient to them that are your masters…, as unto Christ.” Then he would go on to show how it was God’s will that we were slaves and how, if we were good and happy slaves, God would bless us. I promised my Maker that if I ever learned to read and if freedom ever came, I would not read that part of the Bible.

Yet, this same Paul wrote elsewhere statements that do seem to oppose slavery.

Paul wrote in Galatians that “you were called to freedom,” and that, in Christ, “there is no longer slave or free, for all are one.”

How can one man have written about freedom and unity like that, while also telling slaves, repeatedly, to obey their masters?

Well, many scholars who have studied Paul’s writings have concluded that not all of the writings attributed to Paul in the New Testament were actually written by Paul. Some were written by others, who used Paul’s name.

How do the scholars know this?

Well, let’s imagine that a scholar decided to devote a great deal of time to studying the sermons preached at First Christian Church. After months or years of study, if they were given a portion of a sermon, they could probably tell if it was written by me, or by Holly, or by someone else who preached from this pulpit in recent years: Neil, Hank, or Jim. That scholar would be familiar with the unique style each of us have, and how we might use or reuse certain words or phrases. And even if they were given just a few sentences from a sermon, they would probably be able to tell whose sermon it came from.

The same with Paul. 

And, as it turns out, the passages which tell slaves to obey their masters have a style different enough from other writings of Paul, that scholars have concluded that they weren’t actually written by Paul, but by someone else.

That “someone else” was familiar with Paul’s writings, and genuinely felt that they were conveying Paul’s thoughts on, well, most things. 

But on certain issues, like equal rights for slaves (or, women, for that matter), this unknown writer apparently thought that Paul was too radical, and so they changed Paul’s thought slightly, to make it more compatible with contemporary sensibilities.

No longer slave or free? No longer male and female, but all one, in Christ? That was just too radical, too extreme… and this unknown writer felt the need to assure readers that Paul didn’t really mean to go quite so far in his thinking.

And they did it, writing in Paul’s name.

And yet, in the writings that scholars believe are authentic writings of Paul, it appears that Paul did dare to go to that extreme.

So, that brings us back to Philemon. Paul wanted Philemon to release the slave Onesimus, to free Onesimus, and allow Onesimus to remain with him. Paul believed in freedom.

But Paul refused to use his authority as an apostle to command that Philemon free Onesimus. Instead, Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon, returning to Philemon the slave that belonged to him… because… Paul valued the relationship he had with Philemon. 

Paul felt a personal connection to Philemon. Paul also felt that his efforts to build and strengthen the growing church would be hurt by a break in their relationship. If Paul upset Philemon to the point that Philemon no longer considered Paul a friend, it would be a huge setback to Paul’s efforts.

So Paul knew he had to choose his words very carefully. Paul didn’t want to anger Philemon, because that wouldn’t accomplish anything. If Paul angered or offended Philemon, Paul would not only fail to secure Onesimus’ freedom, but Paul would also fail to maintain Philemon’s support and friendship…

It wasn’t just Onesimus’ freedom that was on the line. It wasn’t even just Philemon’s support for what Paul was doing, that Paul cared about. Paul also cared about Philemon, and Paul wanted to give Philemon the opportunity to change, to repent, to fully embrace the new way of living in which all are one in Christ…

So, for all these reasons, Paul chose to make his appeal based on love and covenant, rather than give a command enforced by law and authority.

This connects to last week’s story about Jethro and Moses, and how they had a strong relationship built on love and respect. Paul wanted to maintain the love and respect that he and Philemon had for each other, because Paul knew that the best way to change a person (or change the world) was by maintaining relationships of love and respect.

This is why movements of nonviolence, which treat enemies with love and respect, will be so much more effective over the long term than movements of violence. 

Violent movements may achieve their goals over the short term, but those results won’t last.

Look at the ongoing conflict in the middle east between Israel and Palestine. Right now, Israel is engaged in a violent effort to achieve their goals, in response to acts of violence committed by Hamas. In fact, it is hard to overstate the level of violence being committed.

This may help Israel achieve its goals in the short-term. But history shows that it won’t be long before the cycle repeats itself.

It’s the same thing we read about in the book of Judges, and elsewhere in the Old Testament. Israel is attacked; Israel fights off the aggressors, and deals ruthlessly with them, and eventually prevails, and there is peace.

But only for a short while. Soon, another nation invades, and the cycle repeats itself. Again and again, the cycle repeats.

And nothing ever changes.

And I’m more and more convinced that the reason nothing ever changes is that we haven’t yet learned to practice love and respect toward one another, especially when it’s hard to do so. Yet isn’t that what Jesus taught? And isn’t that when it’s most important to practice love and respect: in those difficult times…

Paul appeals to Philemon on the basis of love. Paul’s love for Onesimus is great, but so is Paul’s love for Philemon. So Paul appeals on the basis of love for Onesimus, rather than using his authority as an apostle to command Philemon.

It reminds me of when the behavior of Jesus’ disciples prompted Jesus to comment that, in the world, rulers are tyrants, and lord their power over others. But, Jesus said, among you, it must not be so. “Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave.”

It also reminds me of last summer’s camp curriculum, when the focus was on the fruits of the Spirit. In fact, ever since last summer, I’ve been thinking a lot about the fruits of the Spirit.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control…

Imagine if we did our best to manifest these fruits in our lives, in every relationship…

Imagine if the leaders of the world did their best to manifest these fruits in their lives, in every interaction with other leaders of the world…

Imagine if we, as voters, based our decision on who to vote for by examining which candidate best lives by these fruits of the Spirit…

Imagine how the world would change, if we appealed to one another on the basis of love, rather than trying to force every opinion we have on others.

Some may say: look: these are issues of life and death. I can’t afford to be nice.

Well, my experience tells me that being mean may get what you want in the short term, but it won’t help you keep what you want in the long term. 

And notice that Paul wasn’t shy or timid in his letter to Philemon. He’s actually quite clever. While basing his whole argument on love and respect, he words his letter in such a way that what he asks for would be hard to refuse. Paul makes it so clear that complying with his request would be the right thing to do; how could Philemon refuse?

And yet, Paul’s careful wording makes it possible for a continued relationship between him and Philemon of friendship and love.

I want the world to change! I want my own life to change! I want the world and my life to more closely follow the way of Jesus, the way of love, the way of peace.

I want there to be peace and justice especially for those who are most vulnerable. I want those who live in fear to have their fear replaced by joy. I want freedom for all people, regardless of race, religion, nationality, documentation, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

And every day I pray that I might use whatever agency I have to bring about the change I so desperately desire.

And I know that if that’s going to happen, it won’t be because I acted like a tyrant, making use of what limited authority I have to force my belief upon others.

If I, or you, or any of us, are going to make a change in the world, as Paul did, it will be because we found a way to love. It will be because we found a way to love not only those we agree with, not only those who think like us or believe like us; it will be because we found a way to love those who think differently, those whose thinking is a threat to us, to those we love, or to the world.

Paul showed love to Philemon, and while we don’t know how Philemon responded, I do think Philemon would have found it hard to resist Paul’s advice.

Jesus showed love to the world; even love to those who crucified him. Jesus could have fought the powers that were against him, and perhaps even have saved his own life; yet that would have been a short-term victory for only one man. Jesus wanted more than that; Jesus wanted change—lasting change—for the whole world.

And that, he knew, would only happen because of love.