Praying with Open Eyes

Colossians 4:2-4

Textual introduction:  Up to this point, by boldly and clearly proclaiming Christ’s person and work, Paul has encouraged a congregation facing a crisis of confidence. He gave the Colossians renewed faith in their Savior and in their salvation.  Freed of the need to earn God’s favor on their own, a quest made impossible by the reality of sin, the Colossian believers were able to give themselves to becoming what God intended them to be, which included being ministers of God’s blessing to others.  One aspect of this ministry is evangelism, the spreading of the gospel.

The closing words of the epistle address concerns regarding the spread of the Gospel.  The Colossians have two opportunities to be involved in the spread of the good news.  This morning we will talk about one of those opportunities, next time we’ll talk about the other.

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Sermon introduction:  Well, it’s that time of year again.  Drive around the city, past some of our high schools, and you may see teams out on the practice fields doing calisthenics, running through drills, or even in the midst of a scrimmage.  Given the heat and humidity of the past couple weeks, you may wonder how safe it is for the boys to be exerting themselves like that.  But, hey, football is important. 

None of the coaches, players, or fans believes it would be okay for the team to walk out onto the field for the season’s first game without preparation.

In Paul’s mind, no one could seriously expect to do the work of evangelism without preparation.  Part of that preparation was prayer.

This is a crucial point because it reminds us that the exercise of consistent, thoughtful prayer allows any Christian to participate in the advance of the gospel.

We can participate in the advance of the gospel as we…

I

PRACTICE PERSISTENT PRAYER

Devote yourselves to prayer…

Paul begins with a statement which anticipates prayer being a regular feature of their lives.  Williams renders the command as  "You must persevere in prayer." (Williams)  The original language is "cling closely to".  In our idiom we might say, "Stick to praying". 

It is right and proper to pray for ourselves.  Paul himself made that clear when he wrote to the Philippians. 

PHP 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.   And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

In those verses Paul tells the Philippians that they may bring specific needs to God, that they may approach him with whatever might be causing anxiety and dread.

The Colossians would have had the same privilege.  Earlier in the letter Paul had encouraged the Colossians to keep praying for greater insight into what God was doing in the world and into what pleased him. Just as Paul prayed for the church concerning these matters, so the Colossians should pray for themselves.

In a world where spiritual lethargy is a real threat, a world in which there are competing world-views, a world in which there are many temptations to abandon the new way of living, Christians need to spend time in prayer for themselves. 

But as true as this may be, Paul’s focus here seems to be the church at prayer for others.  While there is nothing selfish about a church praying for itself, there is everything selfish about a church praying only for itself.

Years ago I visited a church in Lubbock, Texas, with some friends.  It was not a Baptist church so I expected some aspects of the service to be a little different from what I was used to.  Still, I was surprised when the pastor of the church, during a special prayer time, announced the name of another congregation in Lubbock, a congregation of another denomination, and led his congregation in prayer for the ministers and members of that church.  It was surprising because, even though we don’t mind praying for other churches in Africa or Asia, we are just a little reluctant to pray for churches closer to home, especially when we see them as the competition.

More recently, this month in fact, the churches in Plain City are joining together in soliciting prayer requests.  Then members of those churches have volunteered to spend seven days, twenty-four hours a day in prayer for those needs.  It seems like a great exercise in Christian unity.

I’m not saying we should follow the example of that church in Lubbock or those churches in Plain City—such practices can be a mere formality.  I am saying we need to be ready to look beyond ourselves in our prayers.  Perhaps because of the doctrinal threat the Colossians had been facing they had begun to turn inward, to focus only on their needs and concerns.  Through prayer they had the opportunity to break out of that pattern.

I freely admit that persistent prayer can be a challenge.  It’s tough to pray in the face of so many distractions, so many things which might otherwise capture our attention.  Perhaps this is why Paul called the Colossians to pray with “an alert mind and a thankful heart.”  The Canadian writer Dermot McDonald comments, “Therefore the believer must not only stick at praying but must stay awake when he prays.  For we ‘are apt to do drowsily whatever we do constantly.’”

This is why we need mutual encouragement from fellow-believers to keep praying, why we need reminders of the needs of others to keep praying.

At the same time we need to pray with hearts filled with thanksgiving.  A spirit of gratitude makes prayer easier because we look forward to those opportunities to praise God for his unexpected goodness and for his answers to our earlier prayers.  Prayer, according to the Bible, is not truly complete without thanksgiving.  Maclaren wrote,  "Thankfulness is the feather that wings the arrow of prayer--the height from which our souls rise most easily to the sky."

We can participate in the advance of the gospel as we…

II

PRACTICE PURPOSEFUL PRAYER

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that

we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.

Paul had a very specific purpose in mind when he asked the Colossians to pray for him.  He might have asked them to pray for his release but he didn’t.  He might have asked them to pray for more comfortable surroundings but he didn’t.  He might have asked them to pray for the demise of his enemies but he didn’t.  He asked them to pray that he and his team might be more effective in doing the work of evangelism.

Paul asks that a door might be open—not a door for escape from prison, but a door through which they might carry the gospel.  A door is an opportunity to enter, a means of approach or access.  Now, let me remind you that Paul saw opportunities in the strangest places.  He assured the Philippians that prison had its positive side;  he said, in essence:  Yes, there’s a chain on my wrist and there’s a Roman guard on the other end of that chain, but as far as I’m concerned I’m not chained to him, he’s chained to me. 

Paul’s specific desire was that the Colossians pray for him to have the opportunity to bring the gospel message to all who needed to hear its promise of grace and salvation.  When Paul wrote the Romans, he told them that his great desire was to carry the gospel to places where Christ was not known (Romans 15:20).  He is telling the Colossians that he wants to take that gospel through doors it has never been through before.

It’s an important matter he wants the Colossians to be praying about.  By calling his message “the mystery of Christ” he is reminding his readers of its source and its subject:  Christ.  It isn’t a message thought up by human ingenuity or wisdom; it is a message which has its source in God.  It is a message focusing on a heaven-sent Redeemer.

At the same time, when he reminds the Colossians that preaching the gospel is the reason he is “in chains” he is reminding them that the message is so important that it must be spread despite possible pain and suffering.   It is a message which will not necessarily be received with joy and enthusiasm.  Paul knew, as the Colossians were beginning to discover, some respond to the gospel with hostility.  Still, the message was too important to neglect, too important to be altered into something more palatable. 

By asking them to pray for those open doors he is inviting the Colossians to become his partners in spreading that divine message, the message worth suffering for.  His request captures both the responsibility of the church and the wonder of being partners in doing God’s work.  One commentator writes:

 The community…should pray that God may clear an unimpeded path for the apostolic word.  No matter what the circumstances may be, this word must be preached.  And the community should be conscious of the fact that it is co-responsible for the success of this apostolic commission.  (Lohse)

Here’s the amazing truth, through our prayers we are partners with those carrying the gospel to new places, partners with those preaching to men and women who have never heard the name of Christ.

Keep in mind Paul’s readers and keep in mind some of the people you know.  As you do, remember that not everyone can go to proclaim the gospel, nor is this always God’s will.  Not everyone has the opportunity to go—the wives, children, and slaves to whom Paul just wrote did not have the freedom to go.  Yet, through their prayers they could help open doors for those who did have the freedom to go.

This is why it is so important for us to pray with persistence and purpose.

Yet Paul words imply something further. We can participate in the advance of the gospel as we…

III

PRACTICE PERCEPTIVE PRAYER

… pray…that God may open a door for our message… the mystery of Christ…

that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.

Paul’s request for himself and his team was really twofold.  He asked for prayer concerning opportunity and clarity as he proclaimed the gospel.

 He acknowledged God as the door-opener; he and his team simply looked for those open doors.  But an opportunity to preach would do no good without the ability to communicate.

As a Jew moving into the Gentile world, Paul faced economic, cultural, language, religious, and ethnic barriers. These are ageless concerns of every person wishing to share the gospel, so they are agelessly proper as matters for prayer. Only with God's help can they be overcome.

The further Paul moved from a culture rooted in the OT vision of God and his purposes, to more he needed to be able to speak with clarity.  In the same way, because our culture has lost the once-assumed familiarity with the Christian world-view and even the notion of absolute truth, the more we need clarity in our presentation of Christ’s claims.

If we need insight to know how to pray for ourselves and if we need insight to know how to pray for others, we surely need insight to know how to pray for the unique situations in which the gospel needs to be carried in our day. Consider just two examples.

Who, raised in the freedom of the West, can appreciate the magnitude of the task faced by our “last frontier” missionaries who risk their lives to bring the gospel to lands closed to Christianity and to unrestricted ministry?  May God give us insight and wisdom as we pray for them.  

Who,  raised with the Christian world-view's notion of absolute truth, can easily appreciate the challenge faced by those involved in the task of reaching out to today's students?  May God give us insight and wisdom as we pray for them.

May God give us what we need to pray with perception.

Some Specific Suggestions

If we pray with our eyes open, what are some appropriate matters about which ought to find ourselves praying?

                   1.  It’s appropriate to pray for an increase in those willing to do the work of spreading the gospel.  (Mt. 9:37-38)

2.  It’s appropriate to pray for Christian workers to be delivered from those who would do them harm or hinder the work of evangelism.  (2 Thess 3:1-2. Ro 15:30-32)

3.     It’s appropriate to pray with and for churches facing persecution.  (Acts 4:24-31)

4.     It’s appropriate to pray for those specialists who are seeking new ways to carry the gospel into new situations. (cf. I Cor. 9:19f)

5.     It’s appropriate to pray for those who use means other than the spoken word to share the gospel.  (Acts 27:9 where there is some evidence of “medical” mission work)

I suppose the list could go on but the important thing is that we accept the challenge to pray with open eyes for the world around us.

CONCLUSION

It’s almost a cliché to say to those who claim they have no talents for spreading the gospel that they can always pray.  It’s also misleading.

It’s misleading, in part, because it implies praying may somehow exempt us from further responsibility for doing the work of evangelism.  It doesn’t, as we will see.

It’s also misleading because it implies that prayer is somehow less important than preaching and teaching the gospel.  The truth is, the gospel couldn’t be effectively preached or taught if someone weren’t praying for the preachers and the teachers.

You may have never heard the gospel if someone hadn’t been praying.

Whether Pushing a Broom or Sitting in the Corner Office

I was away for a week and unable to update this blog with a new sermon.  Here is the continuation of the Colossian series.

Colossians 3:22-4:1

           

            I’m no expert in economics but I don’t have to be to know there is growing tension in our country between those who push brooms and those who enjoy the perks of the corner office.  There is tension and anger in the workplace.  Workers resent their employers and employers do not trust their workers.  Does the Bible say anything to us in this situation? 

Of course, my answer is yes but to get to it we’re going to have to bridge the gulf between the centuries-old text and the contemporary age, a text which deals with a practice that belongs to another age. 

When you and I think of slavery we usually think of what we learned in our American history classes.  Former missionary to Georgia, John Wesley, said that American slavery was one of the most brutal and inhumane forms of slavery in the world.  That was true in the 18^th century and was largely true for earlier centuries as well.  It was certainly more brutal and inhumane than Roman slavery.  Still, Aristotle said “A slave is a living tool, just as a tool is an inanimate slave.”

What was slavery in the Roman world like?

*                       It was widespread. It’s estimated that close to 90% of the residents of the Italian peninsula were slaves or the descendants of slaves.  In the larger empire it’s estimated there were some 60,000,000 slaves.  The treatment of slaves depended upon the disposition of the master;  as a consequence, some slaves were treated very well, almost as members of the family, while others were treated poorly. Slaves who worked in homes or in the cities were generally treated better than the slaves who worked in the mines or in the fields.  Records show that slaves could be whipped, have teeth knocked out, eyes gouged out, and even be crucified for minor offenses.  Runaway slaves, if caught, could be branded, flogged, or crucified.  An unusually large number of slaves committed suicide.   By the middle of the first century some writers, especially among the Stoics, were arguing for more humane treatment of slaves.  No one called for its abolition.

*                      It was largely non-racial.  Romans did not believe the members of any particular race were destined to be slaves.  Although some slaves were the spoils of war most were born to slave parents and, so, became slaves themselves.  In Colossae, your slave could look just like you.

*                      It had an ironic character.  While many slaves carried out the less appealing type of work some served as teachers, physicians, philosophers, and other “professionals”.  In the American system, it was illegal to teach a slave to read or write; in Colossae, your slave might teach your children how to read and write.  Slaves were often allowed to earn money by working for others.  The usual arrangement involved two-thirds of the slave’s salary going to the master.  This was profitable for the master and often made it possible for the slave to save enough money to buy his freedom.

*                      Emancipation was commonplace.  One source suggests that few slaves were slaves for life and quite a few were freed by the time they were thirty.  Many freed slaves went into business with their former masters.  However, many who were born slaves died slaves.

Though Roman slavery had some virtues not present in American slavery, the very practice of slavery still  treated men and women as mere property, thus dehumanizing those for whom Christ died.

Some resisted being slaves.  Some stole from their masters.  Some did as little work as possible.  Some ran away.

The Colossian church knew such a runaway.  His name was Onesimus and he belonged to Philemon, a leader of the Colossian congregation.

For some reason Onesimus ran away from Colossae to Rome, where he may have hoped to blend into the crowds there. 

Why did Onesimus run away?  He may have simply yearned for freedom. He may have been in constant trouble for being a poor worker.  He may have robbed Philemon and fled to Rome.

As Onesimus explored the wonders of the capital city he encountered the greatest wonder of all—the gospel. 

Somehow, some way, Onesimus became acquainted with Paul, who was under house arrest in Rome.  It seems unlikely he was a fellow-prisoner, since Paul’s situation was far different than that of an ordinary prisoner, such as Onesimus would have been.  According to the Book of Acts, Paul was allowed to have a wide variety of visitors and allowed to preach the gospel in relative freedom.  Perhaps Onesimus joined a group of curious visitors who had come to hear Paul.  Perhaps he had heard a Christian acquaintance speak of his faith and became curious;  that unnamed person may have brought him to Paul.  In any case, Onesimus heard the Christian message and was converted. 

Evidently, Onesimus proved himself to be an eager worker in the cause of Christ and valuable asset to Paul.  The aging apostle was always on the look-out for those whom he could train and mentor in the task of building the Kingdom of God. 

But something hung over the fugitive’s head like a dark cloud.  By running away he had cheated Philemon—his owner and, now, fellow-believer.  We can only imagine the long conversations he had with Paul, talking about the life of a slave, sharing his fear of capture and punishment, seeking the advice of the man who had become like a father to him. 

In the end, no doubt with Onesimus’s consent, Paul sent him back to Colossae, back to Philemon, back to an uncertain fate.  But he returned to Asia Minor with a letter addressed to his master, a letter which has been described as the most personal letter Paul ever wrote.

After an introduction in which Paul reflects on his friendship with Philemon, the apostle comes to his point in writing.  He explains that he has a favor to ask.

      8  [Our friendship] is why I am boldly asking a favor of you. I could

demand it in the name of Christ because it is the right thing for you to do, 

9 but because of our love, I prefer just to ask you. So take this as a request

from your friend Paul, an old man, now in prison for the sake of Christ

Jesus.

                  10 My plea is that you show kindness to Onesimus. I think of him as my

own son because he became a believer as a result of my ministry here in

prison.  11 Onesimus hasn't been of much use to you in the past, but

now he is very useful to both of us.  12 I am sending him back to you,

and with him comes my own heart.

       15 Perhaps you could think of it this way: Onesimus ran away for a

little while so you could have him back forever.  16 He is no longer just

a slave; he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean

much more to you, both as a slave and as a brother in the Lord.

     

Paul held back because he would not compel Philemon to act involuntarily.  Whatever choice Philemon made it had to be his own.  Paul, no doubt, hoped that choice would be made in light of the new reality:  Because of their common relationship to Christ the relationship of the master and the slave had forever changed. 

Paul may have hoped that Philemon’s action would become an example to other slave-owners in the congregation.

A direct attack on the institution of slavery would have been fruitless.  Yet, in Paul does succeed in planting the seeds which would eventually help to end slavery. 

As I read the memo to Philemon, I get the impression that it is a case study in applying the principles Paul lays down in his epistle to the Colossians.

The outworking of these principles would be seen in the life of the church.  F. F. Bruce’s comment is worth quoting:

"In the higher and  abiding relationship which is theirs in Christ, believing slaves and masters are brothers.  The slave-and-master relationship might persist in the home and business life;  within the church it was swallowed up in the new relationship.  Thus, a Christian slave might be recognized as an elder in the church by reason of his spiritual stature, and receive due deference from his Christian master. 

“But the Christian slave would not presume on this new relationship or make it an excuse for serving his master less assiduously;  on the contrary, he would serve him the more faithfully because of his new relationship.  And if a Christian slave had an unbelieving master, he would serve him the more faithfully now because the reputation of Christ and Christianity was bound up with the quality of his service….

[At the same time] “if slaves like Onesimus have their duties, so have masters like Philemon;  they must treat their slaves fairly and justly.  The are masters on earth, but they themselves have a Master in heaven;  let them treat their servants with the same consideration as they themselves hope to receive at the hands of their heavenly Master."

Such a relationship would call for slaves and masters, in varying degrees to display the virtues of meekness, patience, kindness, forbearance, forgiveness, humility, and love.

But how do Paul’s instructions apply to our situation?

Slavery has never been fully eradicated from our world.  It is still practiced in some places.  Yet, most of us look to these words to try to understand how we are to deal with one another in the work place.

How does what Paul says apply on the job?

As we look at what Paul says we discover that in light of our identity in Christ…

THOSE WHO WORK FOR OTHERS OUGHT TO DO SO

1.  With integrity. 

The command to obey might be expected but Paul makes clear it is not to be a merely superficial obedience.  It is to be done sincerely—with integrity.

Paul suggests that some of the slaves were guilty of working only when the boss was around or that they flattered the boss to try to get out of tougher assignments.  Now they were to work hard even when no supervisor was around.

In an age when the Internet can take us miles away from the workplace by pushing a few buttons, it’s tempting to escape when no one is looking.  But the Christian worker is to stay focused on the job at hand, to work with integrity.

2.  With industry.

Certainly this is implied in what Paul has already said but it merits emphasis.  When Paul says “whatever you do, work at it with all your heart” he is calling for excellence even in the simplest of tasks.

When I worked in a luggage store years ago, the manager told us to never sell an item from stock without opening the box and examining it.  As he put it, we never wanted to send the customer away with an item “made on a Monday morning.”

Every one of us has been frustrated by shoddy workmanship, by an order gotten wrong, all because someone was too busy paying attention to the clock to pay attention to the job.  That accusation should never be made against a Christian.

3.  With insight.

Paul was not naïve, neither should we be.  Sometimes good workers are treated poorly at the workplace.  One Roman historian tells of a slave girl who was severely beaten because she made a mistake while tending her mistress’s hair.  The slaves in Colossae could probably tell similar stories.

Paul’s words in verse 25 might seem to be just a warning to the slaves, but a second reading clarifies that it is also an assurance that justice will ultimately prevail.  Neither slave nor master escapes God’s watchful eye.  If the entire society turns a blind eye to injustice, God still sees. 

Sometimes, Christian employees aren’t able to respond to mistreatment by employers.  They need the insight to know that the injustice did not escape God’s notice.

4.  With intentionality.

In Paul’s view the slave could face his toil with a new vision and goal—to bring honor to God.  In the same way the Christian employee can work in such a way to bring honor to God. 

Commenting on the parallel passage in Ephesians 6:5-9 the great British preacher D Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes,

“Nothing the Christian does is insignificant.  When you get up tomorrow morning, and go to your office, your are going there, remember, as the slave of Christ, as the servant of God.  It is not only people like myself who preach in pulpits who are servants of God.  If you are a Christian, you are a servant of God, you are the slave…of Christ…  Show it in you work, show it in everything you do—in your home, in your pleasure, in your recreation, at your lunch, at your tea, everywhere, always, let this come out.  So, you will realize that, whatever your calling, whatever you lot of position in life, it is a glorious one.

“Never feel a sense of drudgery again!  Your job may be mechanical, repetitive, soul-less.   [But] say to yourself ‘I am going to be a drudge for Christ’s sake.  Perhaps someone looking at me and seeing me enjoying the drudgery, and doing it with finesse, and with a glamour and a glory that the world can never produce, may suddenly be convinced and convicted of sin, and may become an inquirer after the way of salvation.’  You can evangelize where you are, just as you are.  You do it primarily by your life, by the way in which you do your daily work.”

Paul also speaks

TO THOSE WHO HAVE OVERSIGHT OVER OTHERS.

Very simply, those who have oversight over others should treat them with justice, always aware that their performance also stands under review.

What did Paul mean when he called for masters to provide their slaves “what is right and fair?”  There were apparently some instances in which slaves were expected to work without proper food or rest.  Certainly no Christian master was to treat his slaves in such a manner. 

As a Christian, Paul would have known that real living demands more than mere food and rest.  He may have been prompting the masters to treat their slaves with the dignity befitting a fellow human and fellow believer; certainly they were not to treat them as living tools.  He may have been calling on masters to respect them by refusing to abuse them or allow them to be abused—female slaves were especially vulnerable to mistreatment.  He may have even been suggesting that it was proper to express appreciation and gratitude to a hard-working slave.

In the political, social, and legal climate of our day, there’s a lot of outrage about unions.  Some Christians seem to believe unions are wrong;  some Christians seem to believe it’s the church’s duty to support the unions whatever they ask.  The greed and self-centeredness of corrupt employers made unions necessary, now greed and self-centeredness have tainted the unions, corrupting the good they might do.  What would have happened if both employers who claimed to be Christian and workers who claimed to be Christian had taken Paul’s call seriously?

I’ve been reading the fascinating story of the Guinness family—makers of the world’s most famous beer.  A review of the family history is surprising.  Yes, there are brewers but there are also evangelists, missionaries, and theologians.  Arthur Guinness, who founded the brewery in the eighteenth century, was a devout evangelical Christian.  He was determined his company would do more than make a profit; it would be beneficial to his workers.  So he provided free medical care for his employees, literacy classes, job training for youngsters, and even counseling for those with trouble.  Guinness became the best place to work in Dublin.

Guinness kept Paul’s word in mind—nothing escapes the notice of heaven.

One of Paul’s most frequently used metaphors for believers is “slave” or “servant.”  He used it often to describe himself and other Christians.  He reminds us that every believer has a “Master in heaven.”  Paul understands that some Christians, by virtue of the roles they have in life, must exercise authority over others, but his vision of our mutual servanthood precludes that exercise being carried out in an abusive or haughty manner.

Reading Between the Verses

To some degree applying what Paul has to say to first-century masters and slaves demands we read between the verses.  We do so to try to discover the implications of what Paul is saying.  What are some of those implications?

1.     Living out a life transformed by Jesus Christ will be displayed, not simply in our homes and our churches, but at the workplace as well.
      It will be displayed chiefly in our attitudes toward our fellow-workers, whether they are our superiors or our subordinates.
      It certainly means we will give a fair day’s labor for a fair day’s wage.  Lloyd-Jones even suggests that the Christian worker should not even steal time from his employer in order to evangelize his fellow workers.  He would, of course, be sure to tell each worker that to seize every opportunity to be a witness.

2.     Living out a life transformed by Jesus Christ demands we be constantly alert to consider whether any action or policy brings honor and glory to God.      There’s no doubt things are different now than they were in the first century.  As a first century Christian, Paul would not have foreseen a situation in which a believer would be the member of a powerful union or part of a management team with the responsibility of negotiating with that union. 
      Even though Paul doesn’t address the issue we can be sure he would say that every Christian, whether labor or management, is obliged to pursue justice and demonstrate respect for others.

3.     Living out a life transformed by Jesus Christ allows us to seize opportunities God may open to us .
      Writing to the Corinthians, Paul told slaves that, should the opportunity arise, they should accept any opportunity to be legally set free from their masters.  Since emancipation was often offered to faithful slaves, Paul wanted them to know that his instructions regarding being conscientious workers did not demand that they remain slaves. 
      I think Paul’s counsel certainly means that today’s Christian worker has the right to consider moving from one job to another if that move will be better for the worker or the worker’s family. 

CONCLUSION

Paul’s words to slaves and masters may sound strange to our 21^st century ears, but the principles he lays down certainly apply to our day.

We can appreciate how he spoke to a difficult situation with wisdom and grace.  Had he called for the end of slavery, he would have failed.  Had he called for Christian slaves to rebel against their masters, he would have invited bloodshed.  He didn’t do this.  Instead, he laid down principles of mutual respect which would eventually erode away the very foundations of the institution.

In the early days of American slavery, many slaveholders did not want the gospel preached to their slaves.  They knew that its implications stood squarely against the institution.  Only when the Bible’s clear teachings on equality were suppressed or distorted, was it considered safe to preach to the slaves.

At the same time, when you read that the leaders of the abolitionist movement were fired with “evangelical zeal” the term implies more than mere enthusiasm for the cause.  Many of these leaders were pious, evangelical Christians.  The evangelist Charles Finney, operating from his base, at Oberlin College, condemned slavery.[1]  So did the founders of Wheaton College.  Students from Lane Seminary in Cincinnati actually slipped into slave states and “rescued” slaves.  These men and women based their opposition on what they read in the Bible.

Throughout history, whenever the plight of workers, slave or free, has been improved, it has been the results of a rediscovery of principles laid down in the Bible.

But as historic as abolition, the enactment of child-labor laws, or the establishment of a more reasonable work day has been, the most far-reaching impact in the workplace has been made by those men and women who determined to live out their faith. 

[1]  Though Finney would not make a pro-abolition stance a test of fellowship or cooperation, others would.

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All In the Family

Text:   Colossians 3:20-21

Textual introduction:  Paul turns to the relationship of parents and children.  Once again, compared to what was being said in his own day, Paul has some surprises for us.

*******

Introduction:  Have you seen The King’s Speech, the Oscar winning film about the efforts of King George VI to overcome a speech impediment that nearly crippled his efforts to serve as king during the war years.  Of course, George would have never been king if his older brother hadn’t fallen in love with American divorcee Wallis Simpson.  Edward VIII abdicated so he could marry her.   The film portrays Edward, who became the Duke of Windsor, as something of a jerk—a portrayal that some argue was fairly accurate.

Anyway, in a 1957 interview in Look, the Duke, who had no children, said this about America:  “The thing that impresses me most about America is the way parents obey their children.”

I can’t help but wonder what he would say today.  The duke, who died in 1972, might actually be shocked at the changing attitude toward children.  Would he be impressed at the restaurants in Pennsylvania and North Carolina that have banned children under the age of six?  Would he approve of those “senior” communities that have said no to children, even those visiting grandparents?  There is a new attitude toward children that treats them as necessary evils to keep the race going.

Jesus welcomed children and his attitude seems to have been passed on to Paul.  That attitude is implicit in what he says in Colossians.  But let’s begin with a look at the culture in which Paul wrote.

If you think it was tough being a wife in the first-century, you should consider what it was like to be a child.

Dionysius of Halicarnassus wrote of the father’s authority: 

 [Roman law] ‘…gave virtually full power to the father over his son, whether he thought proper to imprison him, to scourge him, to put him in chains, and keep him at work in the fields, or to put him to death, and this even though the son were engaged in public affairs, though he were numbered among the highest magistrates, and though he were celebrated for his zeal for the commonwealth.”

In most cases the father’s control over his child was complete until he emancipated the child or until the father died.  A father could even sell his child into slavery should he wish.

Of course, most fathers did not make that choice but they still tended to be harsh in their discipline. 

Jews, Greeks, and Romans all agreed that the liberal application of the “rod” was the best form of child rearing.  One Jewish writer during the Inter-testamental period said, “He who loves his son will whip him often….Bow down his neck in his youth, and beat his sides while he is young.”  In the non-Jewish world, fathers who were following the advice and example of the best-known educators beat their children as a matter of course.

One Roman writer tells of an occasion when he successfully and truthfully convinced his mother that he was not guilty of an offense for which she planned to punish him.  She announced that since the preparations had already been made, the beating would take place and he could carry it on his account for the  next time he was in trouble.

Such discipline is clearly designed to break the spirit of the child.

Paul took a different view.  As we look at this passage from Colossians we’ll find he believed the relationship of Christian children and Christian parents should be shaped by their relationship to Christ.

Children and parents should reflect their Christian identity in their relationship.

To understand this look at …

I

THE CHILD’S OBLIGATION

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

In the exciting days of the early church there must have been many families turning to Christ.  These would have included husband, wife, and children old enough to profess faith and receive baptism.  Commentators differ on whether or not Paul had in mind a Christian family when he wrote, but I think the weight of evidence suggests he does.

Teknon, the word translated “children,” is used often in the New Testament and refers to children in general, not those of any particular age.  It is reasonable to assume that the older the child, the more Paul’s words would have had an impact on them. 

In our age which consults children about what they want to wear, eat, where they want to go to school and where they would like to go on vacation, it’s easy for us to miss something remarkable in this passage Paul writes to children:  He writes to them.  Most of the household codes written in the first century would not have had any portion addressed to the children themselves.  That Paul thought the children (at least the older ones) in the Colossian church were capable of receiving and responding to instruction regarding their behavior and responsibility is a remarkable acknowledgment of their personhood. 

He writes to them as responsible young Christians able to understand that part of their discipleship involved being obedient to their parents. What is important is not that being obedient will please their parent, though it’s assumed it would, what is important is that being obedient will please the Lord. 

If Paul was writing to Christian families, he was assuming that the parents would not require anything which would be contrary to Christian moral principles.  Should a Christian young person find himself or herself in such a difficult situation, other principles apply.

But here Paul is assuming the best.  He is also calling for a respectful obedience to both parents.  He assumes that at least some of the instructions will come from the mother.

In a practical sense, this short-circuits a Christian child trying to play one parent off the other.  It suggests that no Christian young person should attempt to circumvent a negative answer given by one parent by going to the other.

Christian young people sometimes ask, “How can I know God’s will for my life?”  How can we help them find an answer, what can we say to them? At least part of the answer is implied in this verse.  We can say something like this, “Right now, at this stage of your life, God’s will for you comes, in part, from the mouths of your parents.”

That’s tough when the quest for independence is uppermost in the mind of a young person.  It’s tougher still when we consider the sheer scope Paul gives to this command.  Obedience is to be “in everything.”

It calls for trust.  Trust, as the young person keeps uppermost the idea that his or her parents really have their best interests in mind as they lay down restrictions and limitations. 

It calls for restraint.  Restraint is needed because the young person sometimes does possess a greater maturity than the parent is ready to concede.

It calls for forbearance and forgiveness because sometimes Christian parents, though they might have the best of intentions, will make mistakes in determining what is best for the children they love.

In this passage which is so easy to read and dismiss with a casual “so what else is new” attitude, Paul pays the children a great compliment. He is telling them that as Christians they have the capacity to participate in the process of growing toward freedom and maturity.

II

THE PARENTS’ OBLIGATION

Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

       

Commentators don’t agree on whether or not Paul was writing to fathers alone or to both parents.  While in some cases pateres can mean “parents,” in the first-century world the father would have been seen as the primary disciplinarian.  Paul may be keeping that in mind.

Even if Paul’s writing is directed to a first-century audience, I think we are appropriate in saying that the principle he lays down applies to both parents.

At the same time at least one commentator suggests that Paul’s words may be specifically directed toward fathers for a reason.  He writes,

[Fathers] “can easily become tyrannical and unreasonable, bullying where they should be blessing, and infuriating when they should be inspiring, sometimes imposing silly restrictions which can only lead to exasperation, or impossible demands which can only make them ‘dishearted’ (NEB).”

The comment reflects the view of another age before we made the sad discovery that sometimes the treatment meted out by mothers can be just as psychologically and spiritually devastating as that of any father.

In an age in which the great majority of those writing on child-rearing gave the father unhindered freedom to deal with his child as he saw fit, Paul calls on Christian fathers to be self-restrained and to possess a vision for the future.

We sometimes scoff at the notion of grown men and women blaming their parents for their neuroses and quirks.  Sometimes that scoffing is merited.  Yet, we can’t deny that Paul is at least suggesting that how we treat our children now can have long-term effects on their emotional and psychological well-being.  What is Paul warning parents against?

He warns against the possibility of “embittering” our children.  What does he have in mind?  J. B. Philips renders the verse, "Fathers, don't over-correct your children, or they will grow up feeling inferior and frustrated."  The New Living Translation renders the verse as “Fathers, don’t aggravate your children.  If you do, they will become discouraged and quit trying.”  The Amplified Bible warns, “Fathers, do not provoke or irritate or fret your children—do not be hard on them or harass them…”  A. T. Robertson says the word translated as “provoke” carries the idea of nagging.             

I would paraphrase the command something like this:  “You parents, by your words and your actions, don’t continually play mind-games with your children, don’t use your disciplining them as an excuse for a power-trip.  If you do, you may mar them by breaking their spirits for the rest of their lives.”

The nineteenth century’s best-known preacher understood this.  Charles Spurgeon said, “A child’s back must be made to bend, but not be broken.  He must be ruled, but not with a rod of iron.  His spirit must be conquered, but not be crushed.”

But, why don’t we want to break their spirits?  Because if we send them out of the home into the world with a broken spirit, striped of their capacity to resist, we sentence them to yield to any and all other psychological bullies they may encounter. 

Commentators have a hard time defining the outcome Paul describes but it’s clear that it has a crippling impact on the child.

How do parents run the risk of embittering or discouraging their children?

1  Through unrealistic expectation.

This is primarily expecting more from a child than that child is able to give at the moment in it development.  I’ve seen parents spank a four-year-old for spilling his milk even though its unfair to expect a child of that age to always have the hand-eye coordination to manage a glass of milk.  It’s especially unfair when you consider that not a few forty-year-olds occasionally spill their milk.

Some behavior goes along with the age. 

2  Through inconsistency.

For something to be okay one day and wrong the next confuses a child, makes him believe the rules can be changed without notice. 

Snap at your daughter for something she’s done everyday of her life frustrates her and affronts her sense of justice.

3  Verbal abuse.

Words and actions are powerful.  They can encourage a child or destroy the child’s self-esteem and sense of personal worth.

Some commentators suggest there may have been a more serious concern in Paul’s mind, a concern that such parents cause their children to turn from the faith.

What could be worse for Christian parents than to know that their children have abandoned the faith because they abused the stewardship God gave them as parents?

Some Observations and Suggestions for Dusty Nesters

It might seem this sermon is directed to those who still have children at home.  It is, but what does it say to those Empty Nesters.  What about those with Dusty Nests—those who are watching their children raise children. 

1.  We should strive to remember that in a Christian family both children and parents, of all ages, are called to mutual respect. 

In sick families, respect is a rare commodity.  Families which are being transformed by Jesus Christ are made up of people who show respect for each other.  If you are the parent of a grown child who seems to be making a mistake with his or her children, what can you do?  Some would say nothing.  But I don’t think we have that option.  If we have a history of demonstrating respect toward that child, we will be better able to speak a word of counsel.  We won’t be assured a hearing but the odds will be better.

2.  We may be able to help our grown children understand that in a Christian family both parents and children—regardless of their age—should understand that their relationship is dynamic and growing.

It’s one thing for a mother to pick her child’s clothes when that child is in the first grade, it is quite another for that mother to be picking those clothes when the child is a senior in high school.

Parenting involves moving our children toward the day when they are ready to make decisions on their own.  We may offer counsel and advice, but the time will come when we must see that they have the right to chart the course of their own lives.

If that child has been raised in an atmosphere of constant belittlement and disparagement, what Paul calls provoking children, their self-confidence will be so frail that they will never feel comfortable making the most basic decisions of life.  They may surrender the choice to another, they may postpone making the decisions, or they may make the decision hastily because they fear being exposed as incompetent.

Have you seen the Subaru commercial with the father and daughter?  The  is shown leaning into a car giving telling the driver to stay off highways because she isn’t ready yet, to not use the cell phone when driving, to watch her speed.  The camera flashes to the driver, a tiny little blonde girl who’s no more than five or six. 

Exasperated, she says, “Daddy!”  The father says, “just be careful” and hands over the keys to the teenager who is actually sitting behind the wheel—the child he still saw as is little girl. 

As Christian parents we understand that God, our children, and ourselves have been partners for years working the day when our children face the world on their own. 

How good it would be for our children to be able to face that day with the knowledge that they have honored their parents with obedience.  How good it would be for the parents to be able to face that day with the knowledge that they have sent their children into the adult world encouraged not discouraged, with feelings of confidence not feelings of inferiority.

Above all, how good for them to know the Christ we taught them about is with them.