Philemon 15-18 For perhaps he was for this reason parted from you for a while, that you should have him back forever, no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me. But if he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. --NASB In the name of the One Who makes us brothers, amen.
When we consider keeping the commandments, one of the things we must consider is what the opposite of breaking the commandment is. In other words, when we obey the command not to covet, we must ask what the opposite of coveting is. The opposite is seeking to help people keep what they have. Here St. Paul tells Philemon that he is sending Onesimus back to him, and that if Onesimus owes anything to Philemon, Paul will pay it back. This is a very unnatural thing for a person to do. But Paul recognizes that he and Philemon are brothers in Christ. In fact, even the unbeliever has the potential of being our brother in Christ. If we keep this in mind, it is much easier to help our fellow man keep what he has.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you have given Your life so that all men might be brothers. Help us not only to avoid coveting, but to help others keep what belongs to them, amen.
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