When think of bowels we think of intestines, and if you look up in the Bible dictionaries you find that bowels in scripture are just that, but it also used as expression of tender mercies and long suffering. Perhaps not our language of today, but denoting a certain deepness with in the human body, and the delicateness of a situation, or need. It like the sin of some need not advertising, but some sin is advertised like the common plague. It can be taken care of and hiden not to point fingers but to help heal a situation so the guts of the situation are still hidden within. Paul was in a situation where he was in jail for the Gospel and he meet a man that was a servant of his friend Philemon named Onesimus. Story goes he was probably an escaped slave. However Onesimus was about to be set free and returned to his owner, when Paul sick and body and old in age needed someone to help him with his physical needs. Onesimus had been help Paul while in prison. Paul writes Philemon requesting to allow Onesimus to stay and help him with his care.

Now imagine for a moment you have a need and no physical family around you. Some of you during this pandemic has been forced to be alone for days, hopefully in good health, but that is not always a reality. Paul was stuck in jail, could not go to inn or a friends house and seek help. He could leave his situation to take care of his physical needs himself, so he finds himself about to loose this servant of a friend because he being set free to return to his master. While this man was with Paul, he taught him about Jesus and had gotten saved. He was no longer imprisoned by the sin of guilt but shackled by running away. This man was now saved, he was requesting and sending a good report about this man servant with him in a letter and asking him to return this man to him, to aid him.

Paul is asking Philemon with bowel/tender mercies be shown in this situation that maybe this servant could depart and once again be returned to him forever. In other word Paul was planning to keep Onesimus. The tenderness of the situation was that Paul needed to ask for help, he was not one to complain about his situation, but he was old and needed some mercy or help. So he asked his brother in Christ for a favor.

There are times in our life no matter our independence we need a hand up and not always a hand out. Our situation can define who we are as a person, and the embrassment of a situation can often leave our own self with the question of what am I going to do. Ever go to a hospital and have surgery, after surgery is often when people need tender care for a few days or hours. Yet once home they usually able to manage. What is my point, some people know how to serve and others do not, but this is most loving act of not only as believer but by any person that bestows this service on another. There nothing wrong with needing help in our life time, despite the need for our independence.

If the last few months have not taught us all something we need to realize it not our enability to care for ourselves but the hours of restlessness of remain in one place longer then several days. For years I have been behind closed doors. It only seems like a passage of time. How many of us have elderly parents, grandparents that remain hours at home, with no assistance or anyone checking on them regularly. This people need tender mercies when they no longer can drive, or walk across the floor by themselves. They get ill and are hospitalized they could use a friend until they are back on their feet. Sometimes it is the neighbor next door, or someone without children. Yet one also must remember people usually have friends to call on, but as people get older friends pass on. If you can do no more but pray, do that. If you can shop to help someone do that, and if you can wait on them as a nurse would because you trained to do so or are family do that.

God is merciful in his provision for even providing help in times of trouble, sometimes we have to willing to receive it. Some of us are looking at this stimulus check that are being received and wondering about what this truly means and others are saying thank you Jesus. Only time will tell the truth of the need and protection this extra money is actually helping many who thought they would not even see a pay check and did. I guess toilet paper, cleaning fluid and soap is costing a fortune including the extra water used at home to provide for the need of the people. Let alone some with extra medical cost, because it was strep and not Coronavirus.

The irony of the situation is only masked by facial mask, no by the reality of how dangerous this situation can be, and how many people die yearly because of viruses when to help stop the spread can be seen in hand washing. It like the rumors of sin can stop more sin from being ramped, but showing a little tender mercy about the situation. One sin does not make another sin right. In fact sin can be consider tend mercy as far as who was it and not how can we prevent such a situation from reoccuring. The brother needing compassion and help more then abuse. Onemisus found that compassion in Paul. He found a man that showed him mercy and the love of God. Which enabled him to repent of his sin. Jesus told the woman caught in adultery to go and sin no more, after the elders of the community wanted to make her a public spectacle. Christ was repaid for his mercy on the adultress woman by the anointing of his feet and the tears at the grave.

Dear Heavenly Father, help us to show tender mercies in all situations needing this kind of Christian love, because it is the way of Christ. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: 1 John 3:17 KJV
17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?