Who’s the Boss?

Who’s the Boss?

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Eph 5:21

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Ephesians 5:21-6:9 (New International Version)

21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives and Husbands

22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body. 31"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Ephesians 6

Children and Parents

1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2"Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."[c] 4Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Slaves and Masters

5Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, 8because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

9And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

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I had overreacted and I knew it. My young son made a mistake in judgement and
I had come down on him like a load of bricks. It was about 9 p.m. and I knew that
he wouldn’t be asleep yet. I knocked and entered his bedroom. “Steven,” I said,
“I am sorry for how I treated you this evening. I overreacted.” Steven forgave me.
He submitted to my authority earlier in the evening. I now had to submit to him and
ask for his forgiveness, which was something he was in a position of withholding.

The Scripture we have just read should be understood as the cornerstone for all
of our interpersonal relationships. The title is found as the reading commences,
“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” It tells a husband to love his
wife as Christ loved us. He suffered abuse at our hands and yet He yielded
Himself to our misguided judgements in order to bring us blessing.

Even when the person fails to be all that he or she should be, we are to submit to
one another. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 3 that such an attitude of respect and honour is
a powerful force that can win another person over, not because of the words or
nagging, but because of the unselfish attitude being displayed to them. While the
examples given may seem to be gender specific, the overall context does not
exclude anyone from being unselfish and respectful of others.

We find slaves are to show this same unselfish attitude of submitting to their
masters. Masters are required to consider the needs of those in their power and
to treat their slaves in the same way that slaves are required to treat their masters.
Verse seven says, “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men,
because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good
he does, whether he is slave or free.”

“Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.” This prayer is largely
answered in the eyes of the world when we reverence Christ in relationships
that are hallowed through such unselfish attitudes.

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Heavenly Father, when I think that Jesus taught His followers to pray, “our Father
Who art in heaven,” I get goosebumps. I cannot imagine the all-powerful, all-present,
holy God of all creation entering into such a close and loving relationship with me.
There are powerful people in all societies. Other people give them respect and
whatever else is appropriate according to their power and influence over their lives,
yet these powerful people have family members who can approach them during
personal times. They are so lucky. Well, here I am today, in the comfortable presence
of my Heavenly Father. Thank You for this precious gift of intimacy. Amen.

- Noel Churchman

Noel was the Executive Director of Christian Horizons form 1976 to 2001. The devotionals we will be using are from a book he wrote in 2005 called “Walking with God”. Noel’s reflections are grounded in his experiences as an educator, and provider of supports for individuals with exceptional needs as well as his life as a dedicated follower of Christ.