St. Paul must have understood today’s Gospel very well. Like Jesus, he knew what being a disciple would cost. It landed him in prison. Also like Jesus, he is not afraid to ask others to take that discipleship seriously. And he is not ashamed to ask a favor: Would Philemon accept his runaway slave, Onesimus, back into his home? Not just as a slave, but as a member of his family.
In the Gospel, Jesus talks about the cost of discipleship. Paul takes that a step further—he reminds us to accept that cost freely. He could have ordered his friend to free the slave. Instead of giving an order, he called Philemon to respond to his request freely. Perhaps we can learn from that example.
Like Paul, when Jesus commands us to love one another, he leaves us free to accept that challenge. Remember, he always says, “Love one another, as I have loved you” (John 13:34). Jesus was never compelled to cure anyone or forgive their sins. Yet how often do we go to church because we were told we have to? Do we volunteer for the picnic only because the pastor twists our arm?
We can live life just doing what we have to. Or when Jesus offers us a new motive—love for God because God loves us—we can choose to follow him freely. Let us ask the Spirit to fill us with the freedom to love.
Tom Schmidt