May 12, 2024

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“Find out what pleases the Lord. Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect, fear, and a 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.” (Ephesians 5.10; Ephesians 6.)

REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

So, my first question today, not JUST because it is Mother’s Day 2024, but because it seems peculiar to me that as Paul has written about men, women, husbands, wives, children, fathers and slaves there is no caveat at this point for a “word to mothers.” I will not be led into saying “so is Paul soliciting the idea that mothers are to be looked upon as slaves“? While it is sadly true that in many cultures, even in some of today’s so-called modern age cultures and nations, women are looked upon as chattel and second-class citizens if even that elevated. It is a pervasive, destructive and ungodly view which leads to the denigration of women and promotes sex trafficking. It is against such a ugly view that I believe many women have pursued an independency of self as person without regards to gender. I do not believe Paul had anything like this in mind when “a word to mothers” is omitted in this writing to the Ephesians. I do believe that Paul never does anything without purpose and intention. That purpose and intention may we be the correction of “negative, absentee and ungodly” fathers in both Jewish and Gentile cultures. Not that women and mothers were getting it right and were perfect in their attention to duty and responsibility as it related to husbands, children and community and so were above reproach. That I would not suggest either simply because “perfection” is experienced only in the grace of God by His very nature, character and purpose.

Still, I would be remiss to not mention my discomfort and displeasure with Paul at this point because he did not include within the structure of the family and culture a blending and inclusion of the role of mother both for their edification and for their obligation to be as prominent in developing the spiritual lives of all concerned. Perhaps Paul was “assuming” that being in right relationship with fathers, husbands and male leaders within the community of faith and the community-at-large would then allow some transferal of “so it has been said for one, so it applies to others.” I am not sure it is always that obvious and that assimilated. We would do the world a favor to promote a better balance of husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, parents and children as those who are mighty ones of God than is being done in both the aforementioned communities. The imbalance within the structure and framework of sociological and theological communities is bearing fruit reaching chaotic and catastrophic levels ushering in apocalyptic proportions of disproportional evil and unrighteousness. While we may have crossed a point of no return (and I am not so sure it that wasn’t crossed in the Garden of Eden on the eighth day), as followers of Christ we are given “the first day of the rest of our lives.” Embracing that “born again” opportunity of let’s do it right from here forward afforded us in mercy and grace can and will make a difference in the lives of those who are in the world today and will be each day from here on out until our Lord returns. It means becoming countercultural and greatly “at odds” with the world. We may be like the faithful remnant in exile as the Hebrews and Israelites in the days of the Babylonian Exile. However, it is better to be an exile and faithful to our true identity in God through Jesus the Christ than to present a fluidly water-downed image and gospel of what it means to “walk by faith and not by sight.”

So, while mothers are, for the moment, omitted in Paul’s treatise at this morning (6.6), we can glean from the instruction to slaves the proper balance of “living by faith and not by sight.” The word for me on this is “integrity.” You know what has been said about being a person of integrity, right? A person of integrity does what is right and good in the sight of all (and for Christ followers that would be in the sight of God) whether anyone is looking or not. Of course, God is always looking but our mind sometimes wonders into the weeds being convinced that our denial of His presence actually negates His presence. Nice try. The only place where God will be absent is Hell to come. We have not crossed in “eternal life” any more than we have closed the book on “eternal hell.” That day is coming. Until that day comes, we are called to act with integrity knowing full well the consequences of doing so as well as not doing so. Paul issues this level of accountability to slaves; but it becomes inclusive since he had already previously identified all believers as bondservants of Christ, that is slaves by faith and by choice. He reiterates it, that is “he says it twice,” in verse 6 and then in verse 7. Verse 6 declares “…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.” Verse 7 speaks to it this way, “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people.” That ought to be the true rubric of integrity for all things in our lives. It is the original created design and pattern for living. It was intended to be the witness of God’s first called, the Hebrews/Israelites, as descendants of Adam and Eve till the days of Noah and the Flood and then following with the “beginning again” washing away of sin. But, as in many baptisms, washing the outside is no guarantee of an inner transformation. That is what baptism should mean for the believer in Christ: an outward sign of an inward transformation. It is a more reasonable description of being “born again” as Jesus laid it out for Nicodemus. The problem existed and still exists, that such a life of integrity being born again to claim our true nature, character and purpose makes us “slaves of God, bondservants with Christ” who Himself bore the mark of servitude which is the cross!

What does that say for today being Mother’s Day? Is it by accident, which I never believe, that this series of reflections brings us to this crossroad in the Word of God? How many truly know that good mothers surrender themselves to become slaves of the heart for the good of their children, family and community? Their desire to sacrifice self because they love so deeply that which was deeply a part of them both literally and figuratively, is a true rubric of motherhood. Men will not experience that same depth of being. But we can experience that choice to become bondservants to Christ and thus lead in our service to wives, children, family, neighbors, community and the Kingdom of God on earth as we will understand its fruition in Heaven. We must have authentic integrity and see that it most certainly pleases God!

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, before we were conceived in the womb, You had already formed us in Your love and by Your Spirit brought us into being. Each one of us is blessed with the opportunity of doing right, being good and producing the fruit of the Spirit so that others may be fed the truth of that same love so that the two will become one. It is our soul’s sincere desire to embrace the oneness You have in mind that we would know that we are Your people and that You are our God. Lead us in that discovery of the truth and the manifestation of that love for us all. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.