Philemon 8-14 – How to Make a Request of Others
1. No doubt you have heard the old saying, “It is not so much what you say as how you
say it.” That is certainly a true
statement. More often than not, our
demeanor, tone of voice, general attitude communicates much more than the words
we choose to use. Carol and I see that
in relation to our dog, Zoe. If weI say
to Zoe, “You’re a bad dog” in a kind
voice, she will wag her tail and think she is being complimented. If we say to her, “You’re a good dog” in a harsh voice, she will think she is being
reprimanded. It’s not so much what we
say as how we say it.
2.
In this session, as we continue our study of the letter
to Philemon in the New Testament, we’re going to see an example of how to speak
to another person… specifically how to make a request of another person. I told you last week that Philemon is a
letter written by the Apostle Paul to a man named Philemon who was a member of
the church at Colossae, in the Roman Province of Asia. Onesimus, a slave belonging to Philemon, had
run away, made his way to Rome ,
and had become a Christian under the influence of Paul. When Onesimus became a believer, Paul sent
this runaway slave back to Philemon carrying the letter that we are currently
studying.
3.
Philemon is a case study on building better
relationships. In Philemon are some
basic principles that, if followed, will help us build better relationships in
our lives. Last week, from the first
seven verses in this letter, we focused on the principle building others up. We are just naturally attracted to people who
affirm us. We saw from those first seven
verses that affirming people look for the best in others and bring out the best
in others.
4.
The second principle for building better relationships has
to do with how to make a request of others.
In this letter Paul asks a great deal of Philemon.
·
First, he asks Philemon to do something that was
completely out of character for the culture in which he lived. Instead of punishing Onesimus for running
away, Paul requested that Philemon accept him back as a brother in Christ.
·
Second, there is some hint that Paul wanted Philemon
to send Onesimus back to Rome
to care for him during his imprisonment.
Look at
vv.8-14 (text).
T.S. – Lasting
relationships always involve give and take.
If in any relationship, one party is always giving and another party is
always taking, that relationship will not last for long. That is true whether the relationship is
between two individuals, or between an individual and an organization such as a
business or church, or between two organizations. No relationship can endure if it is all one-sided. There must be a healthy give and take. And one key to developing a healthy give and
take dynamic in a relationship is knowing how to ask for what we desire. And in his letter to Philemon, Paul provides
us an excellent model for how to make requests of others.
I. We need to learn to make our request in
the right way
- Paul realized that there were two ways he could
approach Philemon with his request concerning Onesimus. And, knowing what we do about Paul, it
is reasonable to assume that he strongly considered both approaches.
- On one hand, Paul could have simply pulled rank on
Philemon and told him what he had to do.
If Philemon chose to refuse, no doubt, Paul could have had him put
out of the church at
·
In verse 8 Paul refers to this approach by
saying, “...I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do that
which is proper.” The word
translated “to order” is a word used to describe a command given by a
superior to an underling. The exact word
is used in Mark 6:27 where the Bible says that King Herod “commanded” or ordered an executioner to bring back the
head of John the Baptist. Paul was
saying, “If I choose, I can just tell you
what to do and if you fail to comply, you will suffer the consequences.”
·
But Paul rejected this approach. Why?
Not because it would not have achieved its intended purpose. The truth is, Paul could have probably gotten
Philemon to do what he wanted by ordering him.
But Paul rejected that approach because he knew it would do damage to
the relationship between him and Philemon.
- The other approach Paul considered, and the one he
chose to take, is spelled out in verse 9...”...yet for love’s sake I
rather appeal to you...”
·
The word “appeal” is a wonderful word. It is the word parakaleo from the verb kaleo
(to call) and the preposition para (alongside). By
using this word Paul was, in effect, inviting Philemon to walk alongside
him. The word is used elsewhere in the
New Testament to convey the idea of pleading or strongly urging or encouraging.
·
When Paul used the word “appeal” he was signaling
to Philemon that he was not speaking to him with the authority of an
apostle. As a matter of fact, in this
letter Paul does not refer to himself as an apostle, but only as “a
prisoner of Christ Jesus.” He
describes himself that way in verse 1 and again in verse 9. Instead of placing himself in a position of
authority over Philemon, Paul approached Philemon as a brother, pleading with
him to do the right thing.
1. And whenever we make requests of those around
us, we always face the same choice that Paul faced in relation to Philemon.
·
We can attempt “to order.” We can demand, threaten, bully, push,
manipulate, and insist on getting what we want.
And while that may result in people giving in to us and our getting that
which we demand, it certainly does not do anything to strengthen the
relationships in our lives. Instead, to
does just the opposite, weakening and damaging relationships.
·
We can “appeal.” We can invite people to walk alongside us, to
try to see our perspective as we see their perspective. And while the process may take a little
longer and the results may not be as immediate, our relationships are
strengthened and deepened.
- As we weigh the choice between ordering and appealing,
we would do well to ask ourselves, “Which
is more important—the thing for which I am asking or the relationship I
have with the person from whom I am asking.” For example is it more important to—
- Maintain a good relationship with your spouse or to
get you way in every little thing?
- Have your children love and respect you or for you
to dominate every minute aspect of your children’s lives?
- To keep your friends or to get your friends to conform
to what you want?
- Be accepted and admired by your co-workers or to
intimidate your co-workers into accepting your ideas?
- It is significant that God has chosen to relate to us
not through coercion or force or intimidation, even though He certainly
could. Instead, He appeals to us. He graciously calls us to Him and gives
us the option of saying yes or no.
And learning to approach the people in our lives that way enhances
the possibility of having meaningful relationships with others. To ask with class means to ask in the
right way—not ordering others but appealing to others.
II. We need to make sure we are asking for the
right things.
1.
As we relate to the people in our lives, it is
important that we not “over-reach.” By
that I mean, we should be sensitive in what we ask of them. Just as it is possible to be boorish and demanding
in how we ask, it is also
possible to be that way in what we ask.
We need to make sure that we are reasonable in what we expect from
people in the key relationships of our lives.
2.
Paul was careful to be that way in relation to
Philemon. In verse 13 Paul makes it
clear that his preference would have been to keep Onesimus with him in Rome . But he felt that was too much to ask of
Philemon. So, Paul sent Onesimus back to
Philemon, asking only that Philemon would accept Onesimus back and not mistreat
him.
3.
There is an important principle in that about maintaining
healthy relationship. One sure way to destroy a relationship is to be
unreasonable in what you ask or expect of another person. I have seen—
·
Husband/wife relationships in shambles because
one or perhaps both of the spouses demand nothing short of perfection from the
other. It is amazing how someone who
seemed so perfect before the marriage can become so flawed after the marriage. Cut your spouse some slack. Don’t be overly demanding. It will do wonders for your marriage.
·
Parent/child relationships deeply damaged
because parents expect the child to be the smartest person in the class or the
star player on the team. Everyone cannot
be the valedictorian or a super-star.
Encourage your child to reach his/her full potential, but don’t be
unreasonable in what you expect.
·
Relationships between Christian irreparably
harmed because of knit-picking over things that in the larger scheme of life
don’t really matter. Don’t expect
perfection from the people around you.
Just like you, everyone else has weaknesses and faults too!
- The point I am making is that asking with class means
that we ask for the right things.
Don’t expect more from people than they can reasonably deliver.
Conclusion
1. Speak to
people in the right way and don’t be unreasonable in what you asked of them.
2. That is what
Paul did in relation to Philemon. And
that is what the Lord expects us to do in relation to each other.
