Paul's offering to cover Onesimus's debt. He's not excusing the wrong - he's bearing the cost of restoration. That's exactly what Jesus did for us.
I've been thinking about what it means for me to do that in my relationships. There are people who've wronged me - betrayed my trust, hurt me. The question isn't whether to forgive, but whether I'm willing to absorb the cost of that forgiveness.
It's not easy. My natural instinct is to make them pay for what they did. But Paul's saying that's not how restoration works. Someone has to bear the cost. If I want them restored to the relationship, I have to be the one who absorbs it. That's radical love.
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