DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE APPEAL

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE APPEAL

"Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, yet for love's sake I rather appeal to you – being such a one as Paul, the aged and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ – I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me." (Philemon 8-11)

In the military, there is a saying "to pull rank." It means to use one's high position to order someone to do something or to get special treatment or privileges. Paul could have "pulled rank" on Philemon and ordered him to do what Paul wanted. After all, Paul had the status as an apostle and he had the age advantage. But he did not want to command Philemon to accept Onesimus back into his household. Philemon had every right to refuse Paul's request. After all, Onesimus had apparently misused his position in Philemon's household, and had run away.

There is a principle here that is worthy of consideration. To be sure, there are times when a person in authority needs to take direct action and order other people to obey. But often, it leaves a bad taste in a person's mouth. It is often better to appeal to someone to do what is right than to command them.

Paul used the word – "appeal" two times in this short letter, as if to reinforce the fact that he was trusting Philemon to make the right decision.

There are inherent dangers in this approach. Sometimes the person rejects the appeal and continues doing what they want to do. I remember a time when the neighbor's son would practice his drums on a Sunday afternoon. That was rest time in our family – Sunday naps. I appealed to him to change his practice to another time, but he refused and kept on banging his drums. That is the possibility.

Yet it seems that appeal is the better course to take, especially if I want to keep good relationship with the other person. Even if they reject my appeal, I have not damaged the relationship as I would have by demanding them that they do what I want.

Don't you sometimes wish you could command people to become Christians? It would be much easier. But that is not the case. Listen to Paul's heart in II Corinthians 5:20: "Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were leading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God." God is not some big bully in the sky coercing us to straighten up and do what is right. The Holy Spirit is pleading with us – appealing to us. There is always the fact that we may reject His pleading. And yet, He pleads. He will not pull rank, even though He is God of the universe.

Love, Dad