Philemon - a small story of the big difference Jesus makes in life

What do Christians believe?

How do we see and describe how God is at work in the lives of human beings?

At one level, we can go to the theologically rich descriptions that can be found in St. Paul's writings in Romans and Galatians and other places. And there is definitely a place for that.

However, sometimes, it is just as powerful and perhaps even more so when we look at the "small" stories that reveal the big impact of what God means to people's lives.

In the New Testament, I think of the one chapter book of Philemon. It is the story of three men: Paul, Onesimus, and Philemon. These three me all want to follow Jesus. In 25 verses, we read their story in all its humanity and their wrestling with what it truly means to follow the Christ!

In the video below, noted Bible scholar NT Wright offers some of his reflections of the grandeur of what God was doing in Christ in the lives of these three believers. Their example of Jesus' reconciling work 21 centuries ago is just as relevant today.

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