"The Walls Fall Down" November 9 Readings: Ezekiel 25-26, Philemon, Psalm 119:153–160, Proverbs 27:14–16

Today's Readings - Ezekiel 25-26, Philemon, Psalm 119:153–160, Proverbs 27:14–16

Devotional - The Walls Fall Down

Circumstances put Philemon and Onesimus on opposite sides of life's railroad tracks. Philemon was wealthy, successful, a man who was able to have a slave. Onesimus was that slave. Evidently, from what Paul said in Philemon 11, he was a "useless" slave, one who did not do the work he was assigned and who eventually ran away. Were he caught, the punishment would be significant.

Then, something happened. Onesimus, while he was on the lam, met a man named Paul, who introduced him to Jesus Christ. Coincidentally, Paul had also met Philemon and introduced him to Christ. How lucky is that, huh? And when the two men met Jesus, everything in their lives changed, including their relationship to one another. Christ was the only one who could tear down the wall that divided them.

Our human differences mean a lot to us. Republican. Democrat. Hawkeye. Cyclone. Cornhusker. Hobby preferences. Likes and dislikes. White. Black. Brown. Rich. Poor. Native. Immigrant. We are diverse and these differences matter to us. Human beings seem wired to divide into tribes and seek superiority.

But when Jesus Christ gets hold of our lives, the human differences diminish in importance and our unity in Christ matters most. Paul reminded Philemon that Christ had fundamentally changed the relationship between the slave and the owner. Now, they were in much more than an economic relationship, they were in an eternal family. They were brothers in Christ. The injuries of the past faded in comparison to the new reality of Christ.

Knowing Christ does not immediately or permanently remove all human differences. Some of us are rich and some are poor. We come from different backgrounds and have different skin colors. We remain men and women. These things don't change when Christ saves our souls. But when we are in the family of God, those human differences, though real, fade in their significance.

It will only be in heaven, I suppose, that we find out "the rest of the story" concerning Onesimus and Philemon. Did they reconcile? Did Onesimus receive both forgiveness and freedom? Paul seemed confident, in verse 22, of a positive outcome. I believe that is what happened.

But the call to Christ and adoption into the family of God brings with it the necessity of laying aside those things that divide us here on earth. We may still disagree, dress different, look different, have different preferences, but we must be united by the blood of Christ that bought our souls. .

Father, may I focus on Christ and his work that brings unity, not on the human things that divide. 

Think and Pray

Which of the readings spoke most powerfully to you today?
Is the Spirit of God moving you to repent of something you are doing, to begin something new, or to change something about your life as a result of your readings? What?


Do you allow human divisions to become divisive in the church?
Are you working to break down social barriers to reach out across racial, economic, and other human barriers?