Author: For our final three days, we’ll be Opening The Bible together with Ben Van Gelderen* Principal of Nungalinya College in Darwin.
Reflection:
Further reading: Philemon 1:11-25
Let’s open the Bible together… to Philemon, which is such a powerful story, showing how our faith must break into our daily lives, in very practical ways.
It is a little difficult to understand the basic narrative, as we only have Paul’s letter, which is like listening to one half of a phone conversation. In essence, Paul is writing from jail in Rome (v1) to Philemon, a church leader at Colossae, (v2) to take back his runaway slave, Onesimus, who had become a Christian through Paul’s ministry (v10).
Today, I want you to place yourself in Paul’s position. He is in dire need himself, and a long way from Colossae, and Onesimus is proving himself very useful (a pun on his name, v11) for Paul’s ministry (v13). But he sends Onesimus home and strives with all his might — the letter contains a whole range of persuasive techniques — to have them reunited (v15). He even offers to help pay the costs (v18). Why? Because he knows that reconciliation between the two men is even more important. And such lived out faith will refresh (v7, 20) all the Lord’s people.
How do you react when fellow Christians are in conflict? Do you consider it none of your business? Will you try to copy Paul?
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for your word that challenges our hearts. Help us to value reconciliation amongst your family of children. Give us your wisdom in the hard times of conflict to know how to intervene appropriately. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
*Ben Van Gelderen is the Principal of Nungalinya College in Darwin. Nungalinya College is the premier Combined Churches Training College for Indigenous Australians, and offers programs which explore the Christian faith, including in Bible Translation. Each year, men and women from over 100 different communities across Australia come to study at Nungalinya College.