Every Day Relationships

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Colossians 3:18-4:18

Every Day Relationships

Desired outcome To understand that how we treat one another, especially in our closest relationships, really does matter.

We made it! We’ve gotten all the way through the book of Colossians. It’s probably about time I share with you why I decided to start my time here with Colossians.
God led me to it. During my own private reading, I kept running into things that would either reference Colossians or say something that made me think of Colossians. Whenever I was about to move on, it seemed I ended up there again.
What appealed to me when I first read through the book was that Paul had never met the Colossians when he wrote this letter. He had heard many good things about them. He was hoping to meet them soon, but he hadn’t met them yet. Likewise, I had not met most of you yet. I had heard many good things about you. Everyone I talked to said you were a good group, and I was looking forward to beginning our time together.
But what sealed the deal for me was that I decided to check the lectionary put out by the Methodists which gives suggestions for which scriptures to use each Sunday. The suggested scriptures for my first few weeks here “just happened to be” Colossians. So here we are.

Now we come to the end of the letter, and here, it almost feels like Paul knows these believers from Colosse. Paul lists off a whole host of people that have relationships and connections with this group of believers. Likewise, after my first few weeks here, I feel like I know many of you better and I’ve also had the chance to meet many people who are connected with you and speak of you fondly. These every day relationships really do make a difference.

Last year, my cousin Carson was in his office looking to hire new employees. He had many resumes before him, and he was trying to find the best one among the pile. One of the many things he did to get to know these people better was to check Facebook. Now for those of you not familiar with facebook, allow me to give a short explanation. Facebook is a networking site on the internet that allows you to connect with friends all over the world. You can be “friends” with people, post pictures, comment on what you’re doing that day, and join groups and clubs. But as a potential employer, it is also a great opportunity to see what a potential employee is like outside of the interview. What Carson saw (or didn’t see) on facebook, helped him to make his determination on who he would hire. How we are in our every day life, and not just how we look when we’re all put together, really does matter.

Let’s look at some of these every day relationships more closely. The first thing to notice is that every single one of us fits in at least one of these categories. Second, observe that these are what the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary calls the three greatest of earthly relations, that of husband and wife, parent and child, master and servant These relationships are the foundation and archetype of the Church's relation to Christ in His everlasting purpose.

· “Wives, submit to your husbands.”
Not because your husband is anything great and grand worth submitting to, but because it is a picture of us as the Bride of Christ submitting to Jesus. The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary goes on to say “Submissiveness is rendered by the wife to the husband under the eye of Christ, and so is rendered to Christ Himself. The husband stands to the wife in the relation that the Lord does to the Church, and this is to be the ground of her submission: though that submission is inferior in kind and degree to that which she owes Christ.”
“Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.”

Men who do not understand this verse are usually the ones who mis-use the previous verse. Likewise, women who object to the previous verse usually do so because they do not see this verse lived out.

The Geneva Study Bible says “The husbands duty towards their wives is to love them as themselves, of which love the love of Christ towards his Church is a graphic image.”
The People’s New Testament describes this love as “loving so well as to be willing to give all things, even life, for her welfare. The union of husband and wife is here described is ideally perfect. The tenderest love on one side, and loving obedience on the other.”
“Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.”

Fathers do not embitter or discourage your children
It is a different Greek verb, therefore translate here, "irritate not." By perpetual fault-finding "children" are "discouraged" or "disheartened." A broken-down spirit is fatal to youth [Bengel]. JFB Commentary

Slaves obey your masters in everything
With sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord
Work with all your heart, as working for the Lord
inheritance comes from the Lord
actually serving the Lord
Wesley’s Notes 3:22 Eyeservice - Being more diligent under their eye than at other times. Singleness of heart - A simple intention of doing right, without looking any farther. Fearing God - That is, acting from this principle.
Wesley’s Notes 3:23 Heartily - Cheerfully, diligently. Menpleasers are soon dejected and made angry: the single - hearted are never displeased or disappointed; because they have another aim, which the good or evil treatment of those they serve cannot disappoint.
Geneva Study Bible p) Because you will have duly obeyed your masters, the time will come, that you will be changed from servants to sons, and you will know this for certain, which will be when you are made partakers of the heavenly inheritance
Masters provide for slaves rightly and fairly because God is their Master.
It should be remarked that such a charge as this is not found in all the profane writings of antiquity. Even in the pages of the moralists a slave was regarded as a chattel with which the master had a right to deal according to his will. The Christian rule, at once introduced into the church, was for the master to treat his servants as he wished to be treated by his Master in heaven, and to expect the same kind of treatment that he meted out. People’s New Testament

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary 3:18-25 The epistles most taken up in displaying the glory of the Divine grace, and magnifying the Lord Jesus, are the most particular in pressing the duties of the Christian life. We must never separate the privileges and duties of the gospel. Submission is the duty of wives. But it is submission, not to a severe lord or stern tyrant, but to her own husband, who is engaged to affectionate duty. And husbands must love their wives with tender and faithful affection. Dutiful children are the most likely to prosper. And parents must be tender, as well as children obedient. Servants are to do their duty, and obey their masters' commands, in all things consistent with duty to God their heavenly Master. They must be both just and diligent; without selfish designs, or hypocrisy and disguise. Those who fear God, will be just and faithful when from under their master's eye, because they know they are under the eye of God. And do all with diligence, not idly and slothfully; cheerfully, not discontented at the providence of God which put them in that relation. And for servants' encouragement, let them know, that in serving their masters according to the command of Christ, they serve Christ, and he will give them a glorious reward at last. But, on the other hand, he who doeth wrong, shall receive for the wrong which he hath done. God will punish the unjust, as well as reward the faithful servant; and the same if masters wrong their servants. For the righteous Judge of the earth will deal justly between master and servant. Both will stand upon a level at his tribunal. How happy would true religion make the world, if it every where prevailed, influenced every state of things, and every relation of life! But the profession of those persons who are regardless of duties, and give just cause for complaint to those they are connected with, deceives themselves, as well as brings reproach on the gospel.

Desired outcome To understand that how we treat one another, especially in our closest relationships, really does matter.