Memorial of Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr
(Philemon &-20; Luke 17:20-25)
One wonders about St. Paul’s motive in writing to
Philemon. Is he genuinely asking the
slave owner to free his slave rather than forcing him by his authority as an
apostle? Or is he bluffing by projecting
an authority that he does not have? Because Paul has given his life to the
service of Christ without reservation, his goodwill should be assumed. He does believe that he has the power to make
Philemon free Onesimus if he wishes.
If Philemon refuses to cooperate, what could Paul do? He
could tell the church at Colossus not to associate with Philemon any
longer. Then Philemon would lose the
promise of eternal life. Furthermore, he
would miss the satisfaction of fellowship with the enlightened Christian
community. For a believer, this dual
loss would be, at least, a disturbing prospect.
The dilemma that Philemon faces is every Christian’s
dilemma. No one forces us to do good and
avoid evil. We make sacrifices as
Christians for the reward it promises and for the company it affords. We further recognize Paul’s authority because
Christ privileged him with an appearance and a commission to preach to us.
