Frank Sinatra once commented that one of his favorite love songs was the timeless classic, “Something” written by Beatle George Harrison, calling it, “The greatest love song ever written.” His daughter, Nancy Sinatra, confirmed this statement and elaborated that its appeal to her father was that it was a love song that hardly mentioned the word love.
Understatement is a powerful tool to convey a moving message. What is true in music is even more true for our spiritual walk with God. The Book of Philemon is one of the shortest books of the Bible but it depicts the principle of forgiveness in a tender and touching manner without ever mentioning the word. The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to Philemon, a fellow believer in Jesus Christ, on behalf of Onesimus, his former servant. Onesimus had run away from Philemon and through the providence of God, met Paul who led him to Jesus Christ. Now, Paul was appealing to Philemon to accept him back as a brother in Jesus Christ. Paul even went so far as to vouch for Onesimus’ character, guaranteeing it with his own integrity and reputation.
If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.
Philemon 18 (ESV)
In this beautiful letter, Paul illustrates the principle of forgiveness better than any staid definition. His actions are forgiveness personified, mirroring the same principle that Jesus Christ imputed to us when He died on Cross.
…but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8 (ESV)
Jesus Christ died for all of us, forgiving us of our sins, even when we rejected Him. What kind of love is this? It is a love that demonstrates forgiveness without ever mentioning it.
That is truly something.
Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.
The Bereans Blog 