The letter to Philemon (Part 4)

Onesimus, the slave of Philemon, was the center of Paul’s appeal to Philemon. After running away from Philemon and going to Rome, Onesimus encountered Jesus through the apostle Paul. The runaway slave became a changed person whose transformation was quite visible. Instead of keeping Onesimus with him in Rome, Paul decided that the right thing to do was to restore Onesimus back to Philemon. Paul’s letter to Philemon was therefore an attempt to restore the relationship between Philemon and Onesimus, and also to explain to Philemon how Onesimus has been transformed and is now useful in the kingdom and in assisting Philemon. One of the formidable leaders of the church in Colossae was Philemon and he even hosted a cell group in his house. Paul, being aware of all this background information crafted his letter to be able to convey the message of restoration and forgiveness.

I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favour you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary. ‭(Philemon 1:12-14)

After the conversion of Onesimus, he became a help to Paul, assisting him with his basic needs. Remember Paul himself was a prisoner for the gospel and he needed all the help possible to be able to get his needs met. Yet, Paul released Onesimus to return to Philemon rather than keeping Onesimus to attend to Paul’s own needs. In his letter, Paul wrote that. “I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favour you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary.”‭(Philemon 1:12-14). In releasing Onesimus and sending him back to Philemon,  Paul demonstrated godly principles in restoration. He knew that the only way to reconcile the relationship between Philemon and Onesimus was to have Onesimus return to his former role. Onesimus, while in Rome, became a special person to Paul. He was so helpful that Paul referred to him as the one “who is my very heart”. Paul mentioned the fact that although he would have loved to keep Onesimus so that he could receive all the help from Onesimus, Paul was also careful not to do anything without the consent of Philemon.

Restoration, the act of returning something to a former owner, place, or condition was clearly demonstrated by Paul. He does not only plead for Onesimus, he makes the effort to return Onesimus back to Philemon. Many people preach restoration but do not practice it in reality. When we genuinely encounter Jesus, like Zaccheaus (Luke 19: 1-10), we should be willing to give back to others what we have wrongfully taken from them. If you owe a brother or a sister, true repentance and restoration is to pay back what you owe. Unless they genuinely cancel all your debts, never take their kindness to be their weakness. This week, ponder over these things and consider those little things you have to restore. Don’t miss the opportunity to make peace. If you are Philemon, when those who have treated you wrongfully genuinely want restoration, don’t drive them away. Even if they cannot take their former position, make peace with them and liberate yourself from the pain they have caused you.

The widow of the prophet: Overflowing olive oil

We have considered several widows in the Old Testament and how their lives were changed because of an encounter they had. Most of these widows were vulnerable to societal pressure but God changed their stories. In this post, we shall consider another widow and how her life was transformed. To introduce this widow, we need to know the background to her miraculous transformation. Her story happened in the days of the prophet, Elisha. Prophet Elisha succeeded Prophet Elijah. Elijah was divinely taken to heaven in a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11). Before his rapture to heaven, God led him to anoint Elisha. The desire of Elisha was to receive a double portion of Elijah’s anointing and that was given as soon as Elijah was taken to heaven (2 Kings 2). In the power of the Lord, Elisha did miracles right from the day Elijah was taken to heaven. Just like his predecessor, Elisha also worked with the company of the prophets and even helped them build a bigger place of meeting and he miraculously retrieved a lost axehead from under the Jordan river (2 Kings 6:1-7).

The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” (2 Kings 4:1)

Elisha was therefore known among the prophets and their families. One day, the wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves” (2 Kings 4:1). This widow was in trouble: her husband’s creditor was after her sons, her only source of joy. Elisha did not tell her that he will go and pay her late husband’s debt. He rather asked her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” The woman replied “Your servant has nothing there at all except a small jar of olive oil” (2 Kings 4:2). Elisha used what the woman had to pray for her miracle. He told her this: “Go around and ask all your neighbours for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side” (2 Kings 4:3‭-‬4). The woman did not hesitate. She did as the prophet instructed and with the door shut behind her and her sons, they brought the jars to her and she kept pouring (2 Kings 4:5). Then the miracle happened. Her small jar of olive oil filled up all the jars in the house. As long as there remained a jar, the oil kept flowing and flowing. 

She continued pouring and when all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one” but he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing (2 Kings 4:6). Thus, as long as she had a jar, the oil kept flowing and flowing. In other words, if she had collected a million jars, she would have filled all of them up. So far as there is space for more, God’s miracle power continues to flow. The widow went and told Elisha about it and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left” (2 Kings 4:7). This miracle depended on the woman’s faith to gather empty jars, her small olive available and her readiness to keep pouring and pouring. She was not a static element in this miracle. She was the main figure God used to rescue her and her family. She was not sleeping, she was awake working out her miracle. She did not complain, she obediently went out and collected as many jars as possible. She did not commission another person to do the pouring, she single handedly poured all the oil into the different jars. At the end of the day, the proceeds from her sale was enough to pay her husband’s debt and to help her live a debt-free life.

Many people go to God for miracles but expect God to turn their lives around without them raising a finger. God is not a magician. He works with people, He needs a relationship with you. When we need a miracle, we don’t pray and sleep. We pray and look for our small jar and start pouring our faith. No one prays for a husband and hides herself in the room for years and expects God to drop a man from the roof. No one prays for a job but refuses to apply for one, speak with someone  or even send their CV to someone. As long as people sleep, nothing happens. But whenever we go before God, we deny ourselves the opportunity to sleep, we commit to building ourselves and we are intentional about positioning our jars for the flow, God will fill our empty jars if we keep pouring our faith. Have faith in God and let your faith be seen in your way of life. Show me your faith with your works.

Owe one another love ❤

Owe one another love ❤