Charge That to My Account
Philemon 1:17-19a “So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it…”
Have you ever had someone step up and pay your way before? Maybe that was covering a dinner, covering some education expenses, a loan for a business, or something similar. It is very humbling when someone steps up and supports you from the goodness of their heart rather than doing so merely as an opportunity to extract principal with interest from you. Here Paul is sending back Onesimus and instructs them to receive him and whatever debts or wrongs that he has committed, put that on Paul’s tab.
Similarly, we see the same with the parable of the Samaritan in Luke 10. A man had been beaten, left for dead, but a Samaritan picked up the Jewish man, cleaned his wounds, bound them up, and paid for his care at an inn. Additionally, the Samaritan promised to cover any other expenses that would be incurred on that man’s account.
How much more does Christ pay for our wrongdoings, the charges against us, the spiritual debts we have, and heal our souls. We ought to be reminded to help others when we are able to as Paul helped his brother in the Lord. We ought to help others as Christ has helped us, saved us, and paid for our salvation with His very own life.