Why did this happen?

Old Testament Reading: Proverbs 18:24

New Testament Reading: John 15:12-17

Message: A Beloved Brother – Philemon 15-16

[15] For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, [16] no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

Why did Onesimus run away? He may have had his own reasons, but those are not my chief concern in asking the question. What was the Lord doing in this providence?

This is always worth our consideration when we face some challenging experience in our lives. Consider the patriarch Joseph. Why did his brothers sell him? We might come up with some guesses. But Joseph himself thought that the bigger question of God's purposes was more significant. What was the Lord doing in this providence?

Move on in the history of revelation to the cross of Christ. Why did people kill Jesus? Again, we could have a fascinating discussion about this. But how much more life-giving to consider this question: What was the Lord doing in this providence?

So why did Onesimus run away? What was the Lord doing in this providence? Paul suggests a possibility here. Onesimus left as a bondservant that would be of no eternal benefit to his Christian master, Philemon. But the man who came back to Philemon with this letter was Onesimus, the new man in Christ. Here was Onesimus, the beloved brother of Paul. Here was a runaway bondservant of Philemon who could now return as Philemon's brother in Christ forever.

Something happened to Onesimus after he ran away. In the Lord's plan, perhaps this needed to take place in order for Onesimus to receive the greatest gift that can ever be given. “To all who would receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”

Children of God are all brothers in a divine family. Whatever the Lord used to bring any of us to that point, we can celebrate His purposes of grace in all that He has done for us.

It was not a good thing to run away from Philemon. But God had a plan. Embracing the grace of God in the cross of Jesus Christ is the beginning to seeing everything from His purpose. Men may mean many things for evil, but God is working out His good purposes in all that He does.