1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, 2 …to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier Philemon 1:1-2a (NIV)
The scenario unfolds the same every day. Sarah and I get home from work to a hero’s welcome. It’s as if a rock star just entered the building or a soldier coming home from battle. The celebration is the same: nubbed tail wagging, pointed ears back, paws jumping up and down, and an expression (yes dogs have expressions) of sheer desperation: “Your finally home!” The Cruz household is made up of three: Israel, Sarah, and Gracie, the dog. It’s what God has chosen to give us. It’s not that we don’t want more, we do. It’s just that for whatever reason God has chosen not yet.
The family is a beautiful thing. A man or woman is truly blessed if he/she is the closest to those he/she loves the most. It’s a sad thing to be separated from someone you want to be close to…to have a broken relationship with the ones you love the most. And yet that’s the norm for some families. You come home to an indifferent welcome, “They’re here. Don’t care.” Or worse, you come home to a villain’s welcome, “They’re home. Why, God, why?” Some of us are hard to live with. It’s our selfishness, our pride, our inconsiderate ways. We treat non family with more love than those in our home. “They’ll always be around.” Are you sure? It’s possible to be loved yet not liked. It’s possible to be feared and not respected. It’s bad if we offer the best of us to those at work, our Facebook friends, or the church people and family gets the leftovers. Here’s a word of warning: You can’t reap where you haven’t sown. If you haven’t sown in family relationships then in the future when you want to reap the benefits of those relationships you can’t.
What does any of this have to do with today’s verses? Great question. Many Bible scholars believe Philemon 1:1-2 introduces us to Philemon’s family: Dad—Philemon, Mom—Apphia, and Son—Archippus. A godly man surrounded by his family—a beautiful picture.
Question:
Considering the subject of family, explain the underlined sentence.
Why is it easy to take family for granted?
What can you do today to sow into family relationships?
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