Unity in Christ: Philemon 1–25 (Day 309)

Pray

Lord, open my ears to hear what you have to say to me; open my heart to love your word, and open my mind to understand your truth.

Read

2 Kings 18 Philemon Hosea 11 Psalms 132–134

Daily reflection: Philemon

Paul is in prison and has come into contact with Onesimus, a slave who has fled from his Christian master Philemon. Onesimus has become a Christian too; Paul sends him back to Philemon 'not just as a slave, but more than a slave: he is a dear brother in Christ' (verse 16).

Today we're acutely conscious of the evils of slavery, and we might wonder why Paul sent him back to Philemon at all, or didn't tell Philemon to free him. But slavery in Paul's day was not really the same as it was to become in the dark days of the transatlantic trade. Whatever we feel today, it was possible then to see the master/slave relationship as an honourable one on both sides. When Paul sent Onesimus back, he was going with the grain of society at the time.

But he was also doing something radical. Whatever their different social positions, he says, they are 'brothers in Christ'. There's a deep unity that cuts through all their differences. The same idea is in Galatians 3.28, where Paul says there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, slaves and free, men and women: 'you are all one in union with Christ Jesus'. This doesn't mean there are no distinctions, but these distinctions are subject to a deep and wonderful unity.

Unity implies that we cherish and respect one another, and always work for one another's good. What would our relationships look like if we focused on our union in Christ rather than our differences from each other?

Pray

God, help me to see my fellow-Christians through the eyes of Christ, as sisters and brothers together. Let me love and cherish them as you love and cherish them.