Money or love on your mind?

This week we take a look at Philemon. He was a Christian and wealthy and a slave owner. Onesimus was Philemon's slave who had run away and probably stolen something from him. Onesimus meets Paul in his travels and becomes a Christian. Paul encourages Onesimus to go back to Philemon and to put things right. In the letter to Philemon, Paul does not leverage any apostolic authority but appeals to Philemon on the basis of love. Paul also does not plead for Philemon to set Onesimus free but for him to accept and love him as a brother. Paul encourages Philemon to receive Onesimus as he would receive Paul. Money does not make us better or worse than others. 2 Corinthians 5:16 says: "So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view...." For Christians, we should no longer measure people by human standards of race, nationality, social standing, or possessions, definitely not the color of their skin.