Love that Covers and Doesn’t Charge Debts
If we really want to see the depths of Paul’s love for people, we need to go to verses 17-19, and see his love that covers debts. He said “So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self.” (Philemon 1:17–19 NIV11)
Paul was not a rich man. He had very little in fact. And he was in prison at the time. But he says to Philemon: put his debts on my account. Let him go free and I will pay up.
It is widely agreed that Onesimus would have stolen from Philemon when he ran away. Being a slave with no assets and no money, he would likely have helped himself on his way out.
Bearing Others' Burdens
And interestingly Paul doesn’t say to Philemon – just cancel his debts. He says – charge them to me.
True love for others isn’t afraid of taking on somebody else’s debt. True love for others says I’ll take this one, even if it knocks me a bit… if it leads this person forward in their faith.
There’s a classic scene in Victor Hugo’ famous book Les Misérables. Jean Valjean the main character is a convicted criminal who can’t find a place to sleep because of his record. Eventually a bishop lets him stay the night at his residence, but in the middle of the night Valjean steals a bunch of silverware and takes off. Soldiers see him running and apprehend him, and finding the bishop’s silverware they haul him back to the bishop to show him what Valjean had stolen – but the bishop, seeing this, walks back into his home and returns with two expensive silver candle holders and tells Valjean “you forgot these which I also gave you!” The soldiers let him go and the bishop tells Valjean – God has given you a new chance. Make the most of it.
He couldn’t have had him thrown in jail. But he took the debt on himself, took the expense on himself, shared something of the love and grace of God, and set him free.
Act of Sacrifice
Let me ask you today: is there somebody whose financial debts you might pay as an act of love and grace? Of course, when it comes to finances, this is not always a good idea. Sometimes writing off someone’s financial debt will simply enable them to make more unwise decisions elsewhere.
But what Paul did here was not enable an irresponsible man to do more damage. He had seen how Onesimus had changed and so he gladly took on his debt so that he could start over.
Maybe you can do the same for somebody? Maybe you can take on an expense so that somebody else may be blessed?
I long to be more like Paul: more willing to sacrifice my own gain, if it means redeeming somebody else in the name of Jesus.
