S134P9 – A message to Ephesus: the servant-master relationship
Eph. 6:5-9
Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.
The Bible talks a lot about the servant-master relationship. We are told that one cannot serve two masters, or be the bondservant of two masters, because one will love the one and despise the other. [Mt. 6:24] This certainly speaks of the loyalty expected of the servant toward the master in that a person can have only one real master. It is a picture of our expected loyalty toward Christ as opposed to any idol we might create. This is rooted in the tenets of service and obedience, and we are commanded here to live out a certain type of that behavior. Regarding earthly authority, whether we occupy the position of servant or master, there is a Godly way to go about those roles, and it should reflect our relationship to the Lord.
Here, Paul calls for bondservants to have a sincere obedience to their masters. This is not about appearances or appeasement but about true loyalty. Those of us who occupy this role in any respect are to be loyal as unto the Lord. When we do this, it shows our loyalty to obey his command to behave in this way. It is not about honoring our earthly masters. It is about honoring our heavenly master. Likewise, if we occupy the role of master, we are to exercise our authority with the grace and gentleness of God if that is what we expect him to have toward us. When seen through the eyes of this verse, the servant-master relationship is no longer about the individuals but about the Lord. Each is called to behave with God in mind.
There is a Godly way to serve faithfully, and there is a Godly way to be a master of those in service. This passage is not condoning the institution of slavery within the Church, but it is speaking of a genuine social construct of that time and the way to navigate it with Godliness. It is no different than the relationships we have with the authorities and subordinates in our lives today. We are charged with acting in authority with benevolence and in service with obedience. We serve as unto him and lead as He would lead. Father, give us the humility and obedience to navigate such relationships in our lives with Godliness for your name’s sake.