Onesimus fled, trying to hide himself among the crowds. Unbeknownst to us, Paul and Onesimus meet and become quite close, close like family. So when Paul writes this letter not only is it from the heart of a fellow believer but also a person begging forgiveness for someone he loves.
Forgiveness is a powerful thing, although most people don't believe so. When God sent Jesus, he showed us the ultimate story of forgiveness. When Jesus died, our sins were forgiven and we were made clean and our sins erased.
When C.S. Lewis said," Everyone says that forgiveness is a wonderful idea, until he has something to forgive." Next time it is on your heart to forgive, and you feel like you've got the right to hold that grudge. Remember, God didn't have to send Jesus so we would be saved, he chose to.
God choosing to send His son is only part of a bigger picture. He chose to forgive us so that we can use that as an example to forgive others. He gave the ultimate sacrifice in order to save us all but He also uses the things He does and the examples of others in the Bible to teach us to be more like Him. We can only hope that the slave owner, Philemon chose to forgive as God does His children.
