”But the [ones] having believers [as] masters, let them not be despising, because brothers they are, but rather more let them be serving, because they are believers and beloved, the [ones] partaking of the benefit...”
-The context here of course is Paul talking about slaves and masters, but in our modern world of freedom and independence the terms are modified (for most in the west at least). Those words don't mean what we think they mean. Not what they used to mean. In fact they barely exist anymore. But we could easily extend this principle of serving and not disrespecting to any believer who has [been placed in] some kind of authority over us. Supervisor. Boss. Teacher. Coach. Parent. Pastor. Youth leader. Even a substitute. Substitute teacher. Substitute parent [aka babysitter]. Obviously, Paul is thinking about non-blood-relatives, those who are related instead through the blood of Jesus Christ and through faith in His name. Spiritual family. But could not these principles also be extended to physical family? I say yes...!
-Just because someone is family doesn’t give you the freedom or permission to be able to disrespect them. It doesn’t give you the right to be able to take some moral shortcut, some spiritual offramp or detour off the highway of holiness. Do not deviate from doing what is right just because your brother or sister is in charge. In fact, you should respect them and serve and support and submit to them all the more BECAUSE they are family, Paul says. Because they get the benefit, our brother or sister in Christ, this one who is family.
-It is hard to lead. Leadership is a hard job. Those who don’t lead often fail to realize this. More is required of a leader - there is more responsibility, more pressure, more at stake - more accountability. And the job is made more difficult when the sheep go astray. When they get lost. Or worse, when they get all uppity, when they resist going where you are trying to lead them. When they are lazy. When you get more bleating than following. And isn’t this what we are tempted to do, when someone we know is in charge? If we have a close relationship with them, the more familial our relationship is to them, the more we are prone to take exception. We feel that we somehow get a pass, an exemption from whatever regulations and rules or decorum may be incumbent upon anyone else unfortunate enough to not have the same familial standing which we enjoy with the leader. With the one in charge. We get a pass, a family discount as it were. We are exempt from normal expectations or respect, of compliance. We have a backstage pass - we can take a shortcut. All that other stuff doesn’t apply to us. Plus - we know this person. We hang out with this person. We maybe even live with this person. We know the ghosts in their closet - makes us more prone to disrespect. Or we presume upon our relationship with them and expect that they will forbear with our disrespect. We will get a longer leash. Or so we think.
-Uh no, Paul says. Uh uh. Don't’ you go there, family. If a family member is in charge and trying to lead, all the more reason we should do our level best to lighten their load, to listen to them and support them and do whatever it is they are asking us to do. They are beloved, beloved by our Savior Himself - and should be so by us as well. We are to demonstrate this love by NOT disrespecting them, and rather by serving them. This is our good and beautiful worship which shows off the breathtaking goodness of God.
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