I beseech thee for my son Onesimus whom I have begotten in my bonds.
Philemon 10
While he was chained to a Roman guard, Paul came into contact with a man named Onesimus who was a fugitive in the city of Rome, a runaway slave who had stolen goods from his master. It is possible that Paul somehow bumped into Onesimus in the marketplace and began to dialogue with him. It is also possible that Onesimus was apprehended and chained to the same guard as Paul. We are not exactly sure how the paths of Onesimus and Paul crossed, but cross they did.
Onesimus found there is no freedom in freedom itself, for although he was free from his master, he was still a slave to his own conscience, to his own sin. But Onesimus was to discover that although there is slavery in freedom — there is also freedom in slavery.
How?
Jesus calls all who are weary and heavy laden to voluntarily, willingly take His yoke upon them. And all who do, find freedom in their labor for Him. That’s why Paul said, 'I am a bondslave' — a slave by choice (Romans 1:1). Marriage proves this point, for it is, in a sense, slavery. And it can either be glorious or miserable, depending on with whom you are linked!
The question in this life is not whether or not you’re yoked, but to Whom are you yoked? If we are yoked to Jesus, we are yoked to the quintessentially excellent Master, to the One Who loves us so much, to the One Who’s so good for us, and so good to us.
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