Onesimus means "useful" in Greek. We all long to be useful, but we resent being used. There is a fine line, one marked by Paul and Martin Luther's understanding of good deeds. Good deeds must "be voluntary and not something forced" (v 14). This magical line is what makes faith so difficult! There are plenty of people who could point out what I should be doing with my life, but I am not apt to jump at those suggestions quickly; a voluntary change based off my own ideas or someone else's will take time to sprout and yield fruit. But someone insisting on me changing or doing something will either make me go the other direction or do it in spite and what good is that?
Fine lines are what our faith is all about. God has all the time in the world for us. We, however, are mortals and do not have that luxury. In this world, where good deeds are possible..
..our fine lines are finite.
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