Masters of Earth and Heaven
Introduction
C.S. Lewis’ short essay, “The Sermon and the Lunch”, begins with a story of a priest giving a sermon on domesticity. Lewis notes that “all confidence in him had departed from every member of the congregation.” The reason the congregation stopped paying attention was not because they thought he was wrong but rather because they knew the state of this own household.
Of course I am hesitant to bring up this story lest I fall into the same situation as this priest. The problem, as Lewis goes on to recount is that the home life of the preacher was not good and the congregation knew it.
But that was not the only problem, Lewis also points out that the priest spoke of home life in messianic terms. The home was “a magical charm which of itself was bound to produce happiness and virtue.” The home and the family are truly good things but they do not produce godliness in and of themselves.
There is a famous latin maxim (abusus non tollit usum) which means “the abuse does not abolish the use.” Just because there are bad homes and families does not mean that they are to be thrown out. This is essentially the goal of progressivism. Progressives look at all the structures that God has built into the creation and determine that they should be destroyed or altered to the point of none-recognition. Their reasoning for such things is based on the abuse of such structures and institutions.
The anarchist wants to abolish government because of wicked rulers. The individualist wants to abolish the family because of the abuses of mothers and fathers.
The solution of course is not the destruction of the family but the redemption of the family. Later in the essay Lewis states:
The family, like the nation, can be offered to God, can be converted and redeemed, and will then become the channel of particular blessings and graces. But, like everything else that is human, it needs redemption. Unredeemed, it will produce only particular temptations, corruptions, and miseries.
As those who place our trust in God’s Word, we know that the family is of upmost importance. But this can lead us to the temptation that the priest in Lewis’ essay fell into. We can come to believe that the family is the solution. We must always remember that it is the grace of God in Christ that is the solution. Our job is to then apply it to all areas of life, especially the family and the household.
And this is what Paul is teaching the Colossians in our passage this morning. He is beginning to apply the grace of God in Christ to the various stations that the Colossian Christians find themselves in. Whether they are husbands or wives, children or parents, slaves or masters. In any position in the household, there are ways that one should comport themselves as servants of Christ.
I’ve mentioned before the sense of “anticlimax” (Wright) that can often be felt when reading the letters of Paul. It can seem as though Paul goes from such heights of writing of the glory of God in Christ to such mundane matters as how Christians should organize their households. But as NT Wright says, this is possibly a sign that we have not fully integrated belief and practice.
Our passage breaks down into three parts:
1. In verses 18-19 adress wives and husbands.
2. In verses 20-21 address children and parents
3. In verses 22-4:1 Paul addresses slaves and masters
Wives and Husbands (vv. 18-19)
Col 3:18 “Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.” 19 “Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.”
We live in an egalitarian age where the teachings of feminism haver permeated nearly every aspect of our culture. Many assume the truth of feminism and egalitarianism as a starting point that the teachings of the Bible must stand up to. This is why many pastors and scholars, even evangelical ones, have shied away from Paul’s teaching on the relationship between husbands and wives.
The tragic irony in such a stance is that it assumes that our culture has figured out a more progressive and better approach to gender relations and therefore shuns the teaching of God’s word. However, when one looks around, it is clear that our culture is not thriving in these areas.
We are living through a crisis in masculinity and femininity in our day. It is well documented that both young men and young women are lost in our culture. They are taught that marriage, the family and the home are to be avoided. And, if one does end up married or with children they should view their marriage or children as ways to please themselves, not as avenues of service and love.
This is why we are in desperate need of the clear teaching of Scripture.
In verse 18 Paul states that wives should submit to or be subject to their husbands. Paul’s reasoning is that this is proper or fitting in the Lord. The Bible teaches that woman is the glory of man (1 Cor 11:7). Man gives to his wife and his wife glorifies what her husband gives to her.
Woman was made in the glorious Garden of Eden while man was made in the land and placed in the garden. Adam is given the commands that he is to guide Eve with. God has created man and woman in such a way that in the context of marriage, the man is to lead and direct the home and the woman is to submit to the rule of her husband.
In Paul’s context this would not have been a controversial statement. In the Roman household the husband was the “paterfamilias” and had ultimate control over his family in that role. What would have been surprising was Paul’s statement to the husband in verse 19.
While it is easy to look around and be discouraged by the godless nature of much of our culture, we mustn’t forget just how much of the Biblical ethic has saturated the western world. The idea that husbands should love their wives is a thoroughly Biblical and Christian influence on the world. In the Greco-Roman world the relationship between the husband and wife was not expected to be one of self-giving love.
The wife had honor in the home but the husband was not expected to love his wife or to treat her with the kindness and respect that Paul teaches here and elsewhere in his writings. In Ephesians Paul grounds the love of the husband for his wife in the love of Christ for his bride, the church.
Specifically, Paul tells husbands to not be harsh with their wives. A more literal translation is that husbands should not be embittered against their wives.
Paul knows the scriptures and he knows human nature. He knows that the sinful inclination of wives is to not subject themselves to the rule of their husbands in their homes. He also knows that it is the sinful inclination of husbands to become embittered against their wives.
› The application here is straightforward. Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands and husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them.
Douglas Wilson often points out that it is when husbands begin loving their wives that they become lovable and it is when wives begin honoring and submitting to their husbands that their husbands become honorable and easier to follow.
Likewise, a good historical example for would be the marriage of Martin Luther and Katherine von Bora. He was not interested in being married later in his life after many years of celibacy, but he felt compelled to marry Katherine von Bora. He admitted that he did not find her very lovely when they were first married. But over years of loving her he found her very lovely indeed. And that marriage has played a pivotal role in the life of the church for the last 500 years!
Children and Parents (vv. 20-21)
Col 3:20 “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” 21“Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.”
The concept that children should obey their parents was normal in pretty much every culture throughout all of history up until very recently. The obedience of children to parents is a major biblical theme. The Fifth Commandment is a commandment with a promise attached to it and Paul reiterates that when he gives similar directions in Ephesians 6.
Here, Paul states that the obedience of children to parents pleases the Lord. Jesus’ life is the picture of perfect obedience to his Father and the pleasure of the Father over His son. In his baptism, the voice of the Father declared over Jesus, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”” (Matt 3:17)
Children, it is good for you to obey your parents. This pleases both your parents and it is pleasing to God. This obedience does not earn your parents pleasure or God’s goodness to you. Your parents already love you and your heavenly Father has already declared his love over you in your baptism. Rather, obedience is founded in trust and faith.
You are to obey God because you trust and have faith that his commandments are good and good for you. Proverbs 3:5-8 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” Likewise, you are to obey your parents because you trust that your parents’ commands are for your good.
And parents, Paul’s direction for you is founded on this truth. Paul specifically addresses fathers. Fathers, you are to model your relationship with your children as our heavenly Father relates to his Beloved Son. The temptation for fathers is to provoke their children so that that their children become discouraged.
Fathers are typically the parent who gives their children confidence to engage with the wider world. The mother is a place of safety and comfort while the father is a safe guide and protector in an unsafe world. But fathers can become impatient with their children and discourage their children.
The application for this point is again straight forward. Children, obey your parents. This obedience should whole hearted obedience and quick obedience.
Parents, and particularly fathers, remember that your children are growing and be patient with them. Trust in the Lord and do not provoke and discourage your children.
Slaves and Masters
Col 3:22 “Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.” 23 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,” 24 “knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” 25 “For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.” 4:1 “Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.”
The final relationship that Paul exhorts in his household code is that of slaves and masters. The ESV attempts to make the language less offensive by translating the Greek word δοῦλοι as “bondservants”. In the ancient world this word carried a wide range of meaning but would generally refer to slaves or servants.
Similar to Paul’s directions to husbands and wives, this is language that our culture despises. While time precludes us from talking extensively about the theme of slavery in the Bible, it is clear that there were both masters and slaves in the Colossian congregation and that Paul included both of these groups in his directions for how they should order their lives.
Paul makes the point that slaves are to obey in everything their masters according to the flesh. Not with eye service or people pleasing but with sincere hearts. If this makes our modern ears uncomfortable, Paul’s rationale for why slaves should obey their masters will only serve to make us more uncomfortable.
The reason slaves should obey their earthly masters with sincere hearts according to Paul is because they should fear the Lord and they should do their work as to the Lord.
The overarching theme of this section is actually the theme that stretches back to apply to all three points. The reason wives are to submit to their husbands, children should obey their parents and slaves should submit to their masters is because each of these relationships mirror, in some way, the relationship that man has with God.
Your life should be characterized by submission to the commands and Word of God. What Paul is explaining is that God has structured our human relationships to mirror the relationship between God and humanity.
The encouragement for the slave, as verse 24 puts it, is that they will receive a reward for their humble service and that they are really serving the Lord Jesus.
Throughout this passage Paul has always hinted at checks on those who in the positions of authority in all these relations. Yes, wives are to submit to their husbands, but husbands are to love their wives and not be embittered against them. Children are to obey their parents but fathers are to not provoke and discourage their children. Slaves are to serve their masters but verse 25 applies to everyone. The one who does wrong will receive back whatever wrong he has done because there is no partiality with God.
Husbands, fathers and earthly masters can all abuse their authority but none of them can escape the judgement of God. Moreover, throughout the scriptures, it is the poor and the weak who are constantly in God’s eye.
All of this leads us to the first verse of chapter 4 where Paul explains that earthly masters must remember that they have a master in heaven. All their actions toward their servants should be conducted in light of the fact that they have a master in heaven.
› So our final point of application and conclusion is this. While we do not live in a society where there are slaves like there were in Paul’s day, we still live in a society where some serve and others rule. This being the case, you must heed Paul’s directions here.
› Do you work for someone else? If so, you must see your service them as service to the Lord. Be encouraged that God sees your service and will reward you for your sincerity of service.
› Does someone work for you? If so you must remember that you have a master in heaven who looks to the rights and sufferings of the downcast. You must always seek to treat those who work for you as the Lord treats us who work for him. You must be patient as our Lord is patient. You must be fair as our Lord is fair.
Conclusion
I conclude with this, Proverbs 15:3 states that “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” Whether you are in a position of authority or of submission you must remember that your life is lived before the face of God. His eyes are on you. I do not say this to frighten you but to remind you that we have a master in heaven and that it is our service to him that should shape every aspect of our lives!
Share this post