In today’s first reading St. Paul is dealing with a sticky problem: how do you make justice and mercy work together? He is in prison, probably in Rome toward the end of his life. While in prison, he has met Onesimus. Onesimus is an escaped slave. Interestingly, in “God’s Economy” Paul knows Onesimus’ owner—a man named Philemon, whom scholars believe lived in Colossae, since Onesimus is listed as one of the carriers of Paul’s letter to the Colossians. Today’s reading comes from a second letter, carried by Onesimus, to his owner, Philemon.
Roman Law and a Dilemma for Paul
By Roman law, an owner had the right to kill any slave who escaped. Roman culture rested substantially on the work of slaves, who were usually people captured during military campaigns. This Roman law helped insure that slaves would stay put.
Exactly what happened before Onesimus escaped we don’t know, but the implication in what we read of this very short letter is that Onesimus stole from Philemon and then ran away.
What we know today is that Paul is walking the fine line of the Common Good. The Common Good, a doctrine of the Catholic Church, means in effect: what is good for one is also good for others. (See CCC 1905-1912 for more information on this doctrine)
The doctrine of the Common Good is most often applied to situations of social justice and fairness in society. Today Paul is working it for an individual problem.
Paul Walks the Line Beautifully
In this letter, as Paul pleads for mercy for Onesimus while sending him back to his rightful owner, Philemon,–an act of justice. Paul is doing a masterful job of having justice and mercy meet to work for the good of all.
Therefore, although I have the full right in Christ
to order you to do what is proper,
I rather urge you out of love,
being as I am, Paul, an old man,
and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus.
I urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus,
whose father I have become in my imprisonment,
who was once useless to you but is now useful to both you and me.
I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you.
I should have liked to retain him for myself,
so that he might serve me on your behalf
in my imprisonment for the Gospel,
but I did not want to do anything without your consent,
so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary.
Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while,
that you might have him back forever,
no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother,
beloved especially to me, but even more so to you,
as a man and in the Lord.
So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me.
And if he has done you any injustice
or owes you anything, charge it to me.
I, Paul, write this in my own hand: I will pay.
May I not tell you that you owe me your very self.
Yes, brother, may I profit from you in the Lord.
Refresh my heart in Christ.
The Justice-Mercy of the Common Good
Paul is working from God’s Economy, from the Common Good. Onesimus by law belongs to Philemon. Paul knows this is the law. Justice calls him to return to Philemon what is his. Yet Mercy calls for Philemon to not only preserve Onesimus’ life, but forgive him and welcome him as a Christian brother.
Paul is asking a lot of Onesimus. He is asking a lot of Philemon. They both will need courage–and grace.
And we don’t know how this story turns out. We don’t know if Philemon forgave Onesimus and did as Paul asked. We don’t know if Onesimus returned to slavery or was free.
We just know that Paul walked the fine line of justice and mercy in a beautiful way. He appealed to Philemon’s faith. He offered to pay anything that Onesimus owed. He even gave Onesimus additional status by naming him also as one of the bearers of the other letter, the general letter to the Colossians.
He did what he could to foster forgiveness and mercy as well as justice and peace.
Walking the Fine Line Today
This week, as the US bishops meet to deal with the sexual abuse scandals, they, too, must walk fine lines between justice and mercy. Perhaps today they are taking Paul’s example to heart: obey the law, follow through, AND do what they can to plead for mercy.
And this week I face circumstances where I also must walk that fine line between mercy and justice: Last night I worked with a family where children are alienated from their father. There is also a renter who owes me back rent—and now needs help with a utility bill. How do I walk the fine line of justice and mercy?
The beginning of the Gospel today draws me:
Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come,
Jesus said in reply,
“The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.”
“The Kingdom of God is among you.”
Is it?
Is it in walking the fine line between mercy and justice? In finding creative, respectful-to-all solutions to sticky problems like St. Paul did? In offering self to make them happen? In seeing the Common Good as the best good for me?
Hmm.
That water’s deep enough to make me uncomfortable.
Prayer:
Lord, sometimes it seems our Church is divided between those who speak and seek mercy and those who speak and seek justice. Today you remind us that the Kingdom is among us—all of us. The Kingdom is in the tension. Lord, I get uncomfortable in that tension. My usual inclination is to mercy. But mercy to one can be injustice to another. So give me wisdom, Lord, to find the Kingdom in these difficult problems around me. You created justice and achieved mercy by your offering yourself on the cross. Help me today to recognize the mercy-justice dilemmas in my life and work with you to find solutions to them that are both fully merciful and fully just. Help our bishops to do the same.
