Philemon
From ODB;
For almost 100 years, a huge piece of flawed Carrara marble lay in the courtyard of a cathedral in Florence, Italy. Then, in 1501, a young sculptor was asked to do something with it. He measured the block and noted its imperfections. In his mind, he envisioned a young shepherd boy.
For 3 years, he chiseled and shaped the marble skillfully. Finally, when the 18-foot towering figure of David was unveiled, his student exclaimed to Michelangelo, “Master, it lacks only one thing—speech!”
From Roadblock;
Onesimus is like that piece of marble, flawed, yet in the right hands became a masterpiece of great worth. Onesimus was a runaway slave who came to know God and ended up apprenticing with Paul in Rome. As a changed man, he served God faithfully and was invaluable to Paul’s ministry.
It must have been hard on both men when Paul talked Onesimus into going back to the man that had enslaved him. Onesimus must have been angry and frightened by the whole prospect. As a former slave, he knew the punishment for runaways, so it must have been the strength given from God that gave him courage to follow through with this. When Paul sent him back to Philemon, he commended him as one “who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me”. He asked Philemon to receive Onesimus back as a brother
Paul knew what it meant to be given another chance after past wrongs. He knew personally the transformation God can accomplish. Now he saw it in the life of Onesimus. The Lord can chisel His image on our flawed lives and make us beautiful and useful too.
We are all flawed, and slaves to one thing or the other. Some may be addicted to drugs and alcohol, or gambling, food, pornography, the list goes on.
We are freed form our slavery and our imperfections overlooked when we come to know The Lord.
Christ takes each sin, each pain, each loss,
From ODB;
For almost 100 years, a huge piece of flawed Carrara marble lay in the courtyard of a cathedral in Florence, Italy. Then, in 1501, a young sculptor was asked to do something with it. He measured the block and noted its imperfections. In his mind, he envisioned a young shepherd boy.
For 3 years, he chiseled and shaped the marble skillfully. Finally, when the 18-foot towering figure of David was unveiled, his student exclaimed to Michelangelo, “Master, it lacks only one thing—speech!”
From Roadblock;
Onesimus is like that piece of marble, flawed, yet in the right hands became a masterpiece of great worth. Onesimus was a runaway slave who came to know God and ended up apprenticing with Paul in Rome. As a changed man, he served God faithfully and was invaluable to Paul’s ministry.
It must have been hard on both men when Paul talked Onesimus into going back to the man that had enslaved him. Onesimus must have been angry and frightened by the whole prospect. As a former slave, he knew the punishment for runaways, so it must have been the strength given from God that gave him courage to follow through with this. When Paul sent him back to Philemon, he commended him as one “who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me”. He asked Philemon to receive Onesimus back as a brother
Paul knew what it meant to be given another chance after past wrongs. He knew personally the transformation God can accomplish. Now he saw it in the life of Onesimus. The Lord can chisel His image on our flawed lives and make us beautiful and useful too.
We are all flawed, and slaves to one thing or the other. Some may be addicted to drugs and alcohol, or gambling, food, pornography, the list goes on.
We are freed form our slavery and our imperfections overlooked when we come to know The Lord.
Christ takes each sin, each pain, each loss,
And by the power of His cross
Transforms our brokenness and shame
So that our lives exalt His name. —D. De Haan
Our rough edges must be chipped away to bring out the image of Christ.
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