And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them,
Summary: Paul has been admonishing slaves to work, as if they were serving the Lord. Now, he turns his attention to those who have authority over others.
As we have explored Paul’s writings about slaves, we have compared slaves, also known as servants or bondsmen, to modern-day employees. Not all employees are slaves, but anyone “stuck” in their job is the equivalent of the servant or bondsman Paul is talking about.
Now, Paul turns his attention to the person in charge. In Paul’s day, the guy in charge is called the “master.” Today, we call them the “boss.” Bosses are the people in charge, and while they may not be able to beat their employees like masters in Paul’s day, there are plenty of ways to make employees miserable if they want to. So, for today’s passage, let’s consider a “master” to be anyone with authority over someone else. If we do that, we can read Paul’s words this way:
“People in authority, treat those under your authority with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart.* Do not threaten them… “
We might add what Paul says in verse seven too; “Treat those under you ‘as if you were serving the Lord, not people.’”
Can you imagine how much life would change if everyone who is a manager or supervisor treated their employees with respect and love? Work might be fun! Instead of hating the boss, employees would look to their manager for guidance and support.
Sadly, there is a kind of “cause and effect” at work here. When workers do not serve “wholeheartedly,” as Paul advocates, they test the boss. When bosses threaten their workers and abuse them, they test the workers. We fail the test when we fail to forgive.
The Gospel is a powerful message because we are instructed to forgive (Matthew 6: 14-15). Forgiveness breaks the cycle of hate and frustration. But what about someone who is incorrigible? What about the workers who won’t work or the managers who can’t get enough of abusing their workers?
God has a solution for that, too. We will talk about that more tomorrow. Lord willing!
Application: Don’t abuse authority. Even a little.
Food for Thought: What is it about being in authority over someone that is so intoxicating?
*When Paul says “in the same way,” he is referring to the preceding passage. Specifically, Ephesians 6: 5-7.
I think the “intoxication of authority” is the same Paul spoke of when he said in 1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” It’s that “spirit of Babylon,” to think one can build a base of power that no one can topple, even God. That we, as mankind, cannot be held accountable for what we do. One can become “drunk with the wine of immorality.” Just like alcohol, which “releases our inhibitions” (self-control) and we fool ourselves into thinking that we can do or say whatever we want because we are “more important than the effects we have on others”, misuse of authority places those around us as lesser than. That counters the very essence of who Christ is.
Ephesians 5:18 “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,”
Matthew 25:40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
Thanks, Chris!
Your comparison to the “spirit of Babylon” is very apt. Your summation is spot on, too: the opposite of Christ.
10-03-2023, What is it about being in authority over someone that is so intoxicating?
Webster defines authority as: Power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior.
In this physical world, power and authority is seen as important and can affect how we interact with others. A powerful person has more influence on others and greater access to valuable resources, such as food, education, jobs, and potential mates. The powerless have less access to these resources and are often dependent on the powerful.
Ordinary people can become intoxicated by power over others. Just temporarily wearing a power-symbolizing uniform can re-code brain processes to create a new mindset. Research has shown the brains of powerful individuals react differently to social cues in ways that resemble psychopaths or patients with frontal brain damage as they lack empathy and the ability to take others’ perspectives. Power can deform the brain to act in the same ways and people with high status have been shown to be less accurate in judging the emotions of people with a low status.
Jesus came to provide all mankind with the Spiritual power to overcome the power of the flesh and restore sanity.
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Isaiah 61:1-2; Luke 4:18-19
When Jesus stood in the tax collector Zacchaeus’s home, he stated it another way: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”Jesus defines greatness and being a leader in the kingdom of God, as not being served, but to serve.
Luke 19:10, Mark 10:45
Ron,
Thank you!! Your experience in management has given you special insight into this topic. Thank you for sharing!
Great devotion and comments again this morning. While being in authority can be intoxicating for some, for others it is humbling and a heavy responsibility. Jesus served those who were under His authority. In fact, He died for them. He is still a great Master. We should desire to emulate Him. We may never perfectly hit the target, but we should still aim for the target.
Thank you, Rich.
As always, you bring us back to the cross and our responsibility to our Savior. Well done!