Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.
Ephesians 6:5-8 NIV
This selection of scripture makes me feel uncomfortable. My imagination doesn't want to think that slavery existed in the time of Jesus. It is such an archaic and terrible practice, I don't want to consider it as a reality.
Fact is slavery was a part of living in the Roman empire. I find it interesting that Paul, a Roman citizen, doesnt condone or condemn the practice of slavery. Instead and like Jesus, He raises the bar of expectation.
He says, "If you find yourself enslaved, show off Jesus!". Obey like you would obey Jesus. Respect like you respect your Savior. Serve like you are serving the Lord. As the old saying goes, kill them with kindness.
A slave is someone owned or controlled by someone else. Aren't we all slaves? Didn't Jesus pay our price on the cross? Numerous times Paul starts his letters with the introduction, "Paul servant of Christ…". The Greek word in the text means slave or enslaved. Paul is stating he is a slave of Jesus Christ. He knows he is a sinner. He knows he is hopeless. But Jesus paid the price. Paul's debt was paid. He is now a slave to Christ.
Many of us are slave to something or someone other than Jesus. We let our pursuit of money or fame take over. We are controlled by the debts we owe in this world or by the relationships we have with other people. Maybe it's alcohol, drugs, or another addiction that controls us. Or it could be a hobby that turns into an obession consuming our attention.
God calls us to be free. Free of the bondage of this world. Free of the chains of slavery to people or things. He calls us to freedom through surrender to him. He calls us to step into our slavery. Step into being a servant of Jesus. Step into showing the world His light so that others may come to experience the freedom only found in serving Jesus, Savior of the world.
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Matt
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