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So far
in his letter Paul has primarily been writing
about what we might call spiritual things. The
divinely inspired teacher from Tarsus has written
about spiritual relationships: our relationship
with the Three-In-One God; the new relationship
that exists in the New Covenant Community between
Jews and Gentiles; and how the saints are to relate
to each other within Messiah’s Holy Community.
Now he addresses other relationships that have
to do with other important relationship to human
beings on Earth.
The first
is the relationship between husband and wife which
we covered last week. The second is the parent-child
relationship, and the last is the slave-owner
relationship.
Children,
obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
Children are to obey their parents because it
is right. It is right because God, who is the
Master Designer, has made it right. He has created
humanity. He has created the family. He has ordered
the way it is to be managed. He has put parents
in their position of authority over their children.
The Creator
has given parents God-ordained authority over
their children. Because God has put them in their
position of authority over their children, out
of respect for God, parents are to be obeyed.
It is
right for children to obey their parents because
the parent-child relationship is very special.
Parents are the ones that God uses to bring children
into existence; to give them life. That is profound
thing, and that gives parents the right to tell
their children what to do.
It is
right for children to obey their parents because
as a general rule parents love their children
and do what is best for them. If parents are doing
what is good for their children, and they generally
are, then it is foolish and self-destructive for
their children to disobey them.
It is
right for children to obey their parents because
they do so much for them. They care for them,
protect them, pay for them, feed them, clothe
them, house them, instruct them.
You have
heard of this version of the golden rule - he
who has the gold, makes the rules? Parents have
the gold, and that gives them the right to make
the rules for their children. Boy, girl, when
you are 18, and independent, and living on your
own, then your parents no longer have the right
to demand that you obey them. But until that time,
you obey your mom and dad.
It is
right for children to obey their parents because
children are young and foolish and inexperienced.
They need guidance. They need to learn obedience.
They need boundaries. Parents are older and wiser,
and it is God’s design that the guidance
and boundaries and rules come from parent to child.
It is
right for children to obey their parents because
the way children treat their parents will influence
the way they treat their other relationships -
their spouse, their children, their co-workers
and friends. If a child has a good relationship
with his parents, that will spill over onto his
other relationships.
Parents,
your relationship to your children is not primarily
one of friendship. Friendship implies equals.
Your children are not your equals. They are not
your good buddies. When you are dealing with them,
you don’t treat them as you would a friend.
Your position to them toward them is one of authority.
You have the right to set boundaries that your
children are to respect.
“But
why mommy and daddy do I have to obey you? Why
do I have to do this? I don’t want to do
it!” Answer: “Because we are the parents
and you are the child. We are in charge. That’s
the way it is. That is the way the Lord wants
it. It’s right. ” You don’t
have to explain your reasons for setting boundaries.
You don’t need to bargain with your children.
You don’t need their permission or approval.
Children,
obey your parents in the Lord - especially if
they know the Lord, and they things they are telling
you to do are what is right according to the Word
of the Lord. But even if they are not Believers,
obey them as long as they are demanding that you
do what is right. If they are demanding that you
do something wrong, unethical or immoral, you
have a higher duty - to God, and you need to resist
your parents in that area.
Children,
honor your father and mother which is the first
commandment with a promise, so that it may be
well with you, and that you may live long on the
Earth. Children are to honor their parents.
Even if the parents are not perfect - and all
parents are imperfect, they are commanded by the
Creator to treat them with respect. When the children
are older, they are to take care of their parents
in their times of need.
This is
God’s will for the parent-child relationship.
This is God’s design and it works. Children
who obey and honor their parents will make fewer
mistakes. They will be prevented from engaging
in foolish behavior. They will save themselves
from many harms. They will generally live longer,
and have more successful lives. They will be more
blessed in this life, and the Lord will bless
them in the Life-To-Come, because when a child
honors his parents is honoring God, and God honors
those who honor Him.
Now Paul
addresses parents, specifically fathers: Fathers,
do not provoke your children to anger, but bring
them up in the discipline and instruction of the
Lord. Parents, and especially fathers, must
give their children training and instruction.
They must be taught about the Lord - knowing who
God is, and what He is like, and what He demands
from us. From their youngest days children must
be taught the Word of God, and the difference
between right and wrong, and morality and the
need for good character and a good conscience.
Fathers
are to correct their children when necessary.
Children, particularly boys, need correction,
and parents, particularly fathers, must supply
this. It is a negligent father who won’t
discipline his child. It is a neglected child
who is not properly and consistently disciplined
by his parents.
Parents
must teach their children, train their children,
set boundaries for their children, correct their
children, but they must be consistent in their
requirements, reasonable in their demands, and
not hypocritical in their behavior. They are to
correct their children, but not out of proportion,
and not with too much harshness, otherwise the
children will be provoked, get angry and rebel.
It is
the parents who are responsible for the discipline
and training and instruction and character formation
of their children - not the Shabbat school teachers.
Parents must know the Lord themselves, and sound
doctrine, and teach those things to their children.
They must read the Bible with them, pray with
them, and take them to a good congregation. Imparting
the knowledge of the Word of God, and godly values,
and setting boundaries, engaging in consistent
and reasonable discipline, combined with love,
are the way to produce successful and blessed
children.
Next is
the relationship between slaves and masters. I
think I remember reading that in the Roman empire,
the percentage of slaves in the population may
have been as high as 80%. While there are still
slaves in some parts of the world today, and some
of you might think that your relationship to your
employer is like slave and master, let’s
think about this in terms of employers and employees.
Slaves, be obedient to those who are your
masters according to the flesh, with fear and
trembling,
Obedience
characterizes the relationship of a slave to his
master. Following the rules characterizes the
relationship of an employee to the company he
works for. The employee needs to know the rules
and follow them. He needs to show up on time.
He needs to give his employer a full day’s
work. He needs to work hard. He needs to treat
his bosses with respect. And he should treat them
with respect, with a kind of fear and trembling,
knowing that they are in a position to make his
life easy or hard.
What motivates
the Christian and Messianic Jewish employee to
do a good job; to work hard; to be honest; to
show their boss, their manager, the owner of the
company respect, almost the same kind of respect
that we show the Messiah? Slaves, be obedient
to those who are your masters according to the
flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity
of your heart, as to Messiah; not by way of eyeservice,
as men pleasers, but as slaves of Messiah, doing
the will of God from the heart. It is the
understanding that when we work hard and treat
our managers and employers with respect, we are
doing it out of duty to God. This is what God
requires from us. This is what the Almighty wants
from us. This is God’s will for us. In being
a good employee, we are doing the will of God.
We are serving the Lord. We are following Messiah.
We are pleasing God.
Others
may gripe and complain about their jobs, their
bosses, their companies, the owners of the company,
but not us. We understand that work that is legal
and ethical is good and is ordained and sanctified
by God. Work is God’s will for us. God wants
us to work. He does not want use to be idle. He
does not want us to waste our time. He wants us
to work, and work hard. The Lord has designed
things so that we earn our living by the sweat
of our brow. Work is part of God’s judgment
on humanity that comes from the Fall, and is punishment,
but it is also a blessing. Work improves us in
ability, in diligence, in faithfulness, in character.
It provides for us and our families. Our work
helps others in our society. Work keeps us out
of trouble.
We are
not motivated to work hard and obey the rules
and show respect as men-pleasers, by way of eyeservice,
to be noticed by men, or to please men, or to
advance ourselves or our careers. We are motivated
by the knowing that our jobs and our bosses are
ordained by God. The Lord has so worked that we
are in that job and we have that particular boss.
This is God’s provision for us. This God’s
plan for us. Therefore we have a good attitude
toward them, and work hard from the core of our
being, out of a sincere heart, knowing that in
working hard and showing respect to our bosses,
we are serving God.
With
good will render service, as to the Lord, and
not to men. The jobs we have are God’s
will for us, God’s provision for us. It
is not just the work of ministry, the apostle,
prophet, pastor, teacher evangelists, whose work
is of the Lord, but the plumber, the carpenter,
the factory worker, the white collar worker, the
CPA, the lawyer - well, maybe not the lawyer,
whose work is also of the Lord. Our work, if it
is honest and ethical, is God-ordained, holy,
sanctified.
When we
are at work, we are serving the Lord. Our work
environment, if our companies are producing an
ethical good or service, is like the Temple, and
we are like priests who serve at the Temple. Therefore
we work with good will. We have a good attitude.
We work hard. We work with diligence. We work
with excellence. We work with honesty. We show
respect.
Our work
environment is like the Temple, and we are like
priests. A priest brings men closer to God, and
God closer to men. So, we view our jobs not only
as God’s way to provide for our needs, but
also as place of opportunity to preach and teach
and instruct and correct and pray and bless our
co-workers, and maybe even our bosses. We are
their priests. We are God’s representatives
to them, His ambassadors, His emissaries. We are
their light. We are their Bible.
And, the
Lord wants us to know that He will reward the
one who has this kind of attitude. With good
will render service, as to the Lord, and not to
men, knowing that whatever good thing each one
does, this he will receive back from the Lord,
whether slave or free. The Judge of all the
Earth will weigh the opportunities, the talents,
the attitudes, the level of diligence, and make
His determinations for reward or punishment. The
excellent plumber with a great attitude may be
rewarded more than the mediocre rabbi. The diligent,
hard working white collar worker who has a difficult
boss may be more greatly blessed than the lazy
pastor. The young man who loves the Lord and works
hard in the mail-room might wind up with a much
greater reward than the selfish owner of the company.
Now we
come to the relationship of the employer to the
employee: And masters, do the same things
to them, and give up threatening, knowing that
both their Master and yours is in Heaven, and
there is no partiality with Him. Do the same
things to them: treat them with good will, with
a measure of respect, with honesty. Pay them a
fair wage. Make sure working conditions are good.
Don’t work them too hard. Don’t be
unreasonable. Don’t be mean. Don’t
take advantage of your position or power or authority.
You do this because this is right, and because
God has put you in your position of authority,
and He will reward you if you do well and punish
you if you fail.
Manager,
owner, keep in mind that you are accountable to
the Chief Executive Officer of the Universe. You
must report to the Supreme Boss. The Manager of
Earth and Heaven is not partial. He is not impressed
by your position. He is your judge just as much
as He is the judge of those who work for you.
In fact, to whom much is given, much is required,
and He will reward a good employee more than a
bad boss!
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