I was a Slave!

My dear children in our beloved Lord,

I am taking this opportunity today to tell you my story. You know me as Bishop Onesimus. But most of you don’t know what I was a few years ago.

I was a slave. Can you believe it? I was counted among the domestic animals of someone. My master could buy and sell me along with his cattle. Philemon — that was my master’s name. I think I was bought by him when I was very young.  I grew up in his household as a slave of his. There were about ten of us including men and women. We were responsible for all the household jobs including taking care of the cattle, cooking, cleaning, and we also did some farming.

When I grew up I saw that people were of two kinds: those who were free, and those who were their slaves. They owned everything. We owned nothing. They had rights, but we had no rights of any kind. My master had the right to do anything with me – to make me do any kinds of work, to sell me to someone else, or even to kill me. I was his property, and I was valuable to him as long as I was useful to him. By the way, my name, Onesimus, means useful. He named me so probably to remind me that I have to keep myself useful to him. The moment I cease useful to him, I would be of no value to him, and he would have to get rid of me.

My soul rebelled within me against this injustice. Slowly I began to share my thoughts with my fellow-slaves. They warned me right away that I was heading to my doom with the thoughts of freedom. So many years ago our land was conquered by Rome, and we were all made slaves against our will. There were slaves like us throughout the Roman Empire, and any rebellion was brutally suppressed. If a slave tried to run away, he would immediately be killed as an example to the others. This information made me feel so much frustrated and hopeless.

In spite of that I still longed for freedom. I sought the help of some other people to escape from slavery, go to a faraway land, and live freely. One day when my master sent me to the market, instead of going back, I took off. Hoping to be away from my master and from all those who knew me, I joined a group of travelers, and a few days later I ended up in Rome.

I was excited for escaping from slavery. But this excitement was swallowed by the feeling of fear that was getting stronger and stronger in me. The thought that any moment I could be caught made me tremble with terror. If caught, I would be put to death right away. I managed to move around in the cover of darkness assuming another name. I had a little money with me as I was going to the market when I took off, and I kept myself alive with that.

Before long, with the mercy of a kind man I found a means of survival. He let me stay in his home in return for helping him with household chores. Although he was a citizen, he didn’t own any slaves, and he treated me as a friend or even as a brother. This boosted my self esteem, but I was not sure if he would continue to treat me the same way if he knew the truth about me that I was a runaway slave. His name was Timothy.

One day Timothy entrusted me with a strange job. He told me that a friend of his was unjustly put in prison, and he asked me to deliver some food to him. Timothy’s wife packed some food, and I took it to the prison. While walking to the prison, I was wondering how this prisoner would look like, and why he might have been put in prison.

The prison guard let me go in with the food. When I saw the prisoner face to face, I couldn’t hide my surprise.  I had in my mind someone who would look very much depressed, dejected, and angry.  He didn’t look like anything I expected. His face was shining with an unspeakable joy and peace, which I had never seen. I felt like I was in the presence of God. I felt immediately attracted to him. I learned that his name was Paul. When he started talking to me, I was even more confirmed that he was not an ordinary person. I felt his love flowing to me through his words.

I told him my story of how I became a slave, and how I escaped, and how I ended up in Rome. I opened my heart fully and completely before him without hiding anything. I felt such peace of mind in his presence. Being a runaway slave, my master could find me anytime, and kill me. It was not easy for me to escape and get out of the Roman empire. I shared my fears with  Paul.

The next day when I went to prison again with his food, he handed me a sealed scroll, and asked me to take it to my master. Sensing how scared I was hearing about my master, he consoled me saying that my master was a close friend of Paul, and that he would be willing to listen to the request of Paul to forgive me and let me free.

I knew going back to my master was a risk. But Paul was encouraging me to take this risk. His words gave me the confidence to take the risk. Somehow I felt that my life was going to change. I expressed my gratitude and set off to my master.

When I reached my master’s home, his men immediately caught me and put me in chains. They had been looking for me since I disappeared. They took me to my master. I saw his angry face. I knew what it meant. He would soon order to kill me. That was the punishment for running away from a master. I handed over the scroll to him. He took it and opened it with curiosity. As he read it, I could see his face changing dramatically. His anger was melting away. When he finished reading the scroll, he ordered his men to remove the chains and to free me.  

He told me that I was no more his slave, and that I was free to go. I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears. Actually no one standing around could believe what they just saw and heard.  Whose message was it, what was said in it? They wondered.  

Although I was free to go right away, I stayed with Philemon for a few more months and served him. Then I returned to Rome to look for Paul, the man who saved my life. However, what awaited me was a sad news-- that he had already been beheaded. But Timothy and other friends of Paul warmly received me, and I learned from them what  Paul had given up his life for.  I learned from them how all people are in slavery to sin and death, and how it is possible to attain freedom through the way of Jesus Christ.   

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