Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Free to Love

St. Paul must have understood today’s Gospel very well. Like Jesus, he knew what being a disciple would cost. It landed him in prison. Yet he seems to have no regrets; he accepts that imprisonment as part of his discipleship. Also like Jesus, he is not afraid to ask others to take that discipleship seriously. And he is not ashamed to ask a favor: Would Philemon accept his runaway slave, Onesimus, back into his home? Not just as a slave, but as a member of his family. He shamelessly calls himself a prisoner for Christ five times in the short letter (three times in our reading). If that didn’t tug Philemon’s heartstrings, Paul also calls himself an old man.
In the Gospel, Jesus talks about the cost of discipleship. Paul takes that a step further; he reminds us to accept that cost freely. He could have ordered his friend to free the slave. Paul was an apostle, a leader in the early church. Instead of giving an order, he called on Philemon to respond freely to his request. Perhaps we can learn from that example.
Like Paul, when Jesus commands us to love one another, he leaves us free to accept that challenge. Remember, he always says, “Love one another, as I have loved you” (John 13:34). Jesus was never compelled to cure anyone or forgive their sins. No one ordered him to feed the hungry with loaves and fishes or raise Lazarus from the dead. Yet how often do we go to church because we were told we have to? Do we volunteer for the picnic only because the pastor twists our arm? Or do we love Jesus so much that we volunteer to help without being asked? Do we love Jesus enough to invite others to follow him?
We can live life just doing what we have to. Or when Jesus offers us a new motive—love for God because God loves us—we can choose to follow him freely. In John’s Gospel, there is no Agony in the Garden. He shows us that Jesus chose to obey his Father and willingly took up the cross. Let us ask the Spirit to fill us with the freedom to love.
Tom Schmidt

Short Version

St. Paul must have understood today’s Gospel very well. Like Jesus, he knew what being a disciple would cost. It landed him in prison. Also like Jesus, he is not afraid to ask others to take that discipleship seriously. And he is not ashamed to ask a favor: Would Philemon accept his runaway slave, Onesimus, back into his home? Not just as a slave, but as a member of his family.
In the Gospel, Jesus talks about the cost of discipleship. Paul takes that a step further—he reminds us to accept that cost freely. He could have ordered his friend to free the slave. Instead of giving an order, he called Philemon to respond to his request freely. Perhaps we can learn from that example.
Like Paul, when Jesus commands us to love one another, he leaves us free to accept that challenge.  Remember, he always says, “Love one another, as I have loved you” (John 13:34). Jesus was never compelled to cure anyone or forgive their sins. Yet how often do we go to church because we were told we have to? Do we volunteer for the picnic only because the pastor twists our arm?
We can live life just doing what we have to. Or when Jesus offers us a new motive—love for God because God loves us—we can choose to follow him freely. Let us ask the Spirit to fill us with the freedom to love.
Tom Schmidt