Title: CHILD AND LABOR RELATIONS

Focus: Christ is Lord—also in the home and workplace.

Function: To encourage the people to practice the presence of Christ and honor him in relation to our marriage, our home, and our employers and employees.

Text: Ephesians 6:1-9

His name was Nicholas Herman. He was born in 1611 in Lorraine, France. He was a simple man, not well-known in his days. We know basically three things about him. (1) He grew up to be a foot soldier; (2) Later in life, he sensed a call to live alone as a hermit; (3) He ended up as a lay-brother in a Carmelite Order in Paris “where he served at manual tasks until his death in 1691.” He served in the kitchen of that Order. His name as a monk in the Carmelite Order was Brother Lawrence.

There was something special about this Christian man, for in letters to some individuals Brother Lawrence would speak of “practicing the presence of Christ.” He encouraged people to see Christ wherever they are, and to honor and acknowledge Christ presence wherever they are. Never think of yourself as being alone. Always live as if Christ is right there with you. In other words, practice his presence.

When you are alone in your room or garage, you act in a certain way. When your spouse, however, or someone else for that matter, enters your room or garage, you act in accordance with their presence. In fact, you would not ignore that person’s presence. Rather, you “practice their presence.” Thus you acknowledge your wife; you are aware of your friend’s entrance into the room, and you may start up a conversation with that person. That’s what Brother Lawrence meant when he talked about “practicing the presence of God.”

Today’s Scripture passage focuses on the home and the workplace—on children and parents, and on masters and their servants. And in essence, it turns out, the passage emphasizes that Christ is Lord in all our relationships, including marriage, home, and workplace. I think it’s legitimate to say that the apostle Paul teaches us (in the words of Brother Lawrence) to practice the presence of Christ in all our relationships.

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First of all, consider, for example, the passage. Although we read chapter 6:1-9, the passage must be seen as part of a larger unit beginning in chapter 5:21. There we learn that Christians must practice mutual submission out of reverence for Christ.

It’s under the umbrella of mutual submission that husbands and wives must work out their relationship as a couple. So must parents and children; and so also masters and servants. Each of these entities—couples, parents and children, employers and employees—makes up an average household in the days of the apostle Paul. And each one of them must learn to practice the presence of Christ in their relationships, and they must do so under the large umbrella of mutual submission out of reverence for Christ.

As you explore this passage as a unit, you will discover an interesting thing: mutual submission out of reverence for Christ takes on different dimensions and force in those household relationships. For example, when it comes to wives and husband relationships, Paul speaks with a tender voice: “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.” And such submission is one of love and respect in response to the husbands’ sacrificial love to their wives. Thus Paul can say that wives must submit to and respect their husbands. And likewise, Paul urges husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church.

Mutual submission in the area of husbands—wives relationship is wrapped up—not so much in an authority relationship, but in a responsibility, or serving relationship. Paul does not say, for example, “Wives, obey your husbands.” No, he calls them to submit to their husbands’ sacrificial overtures of love. There’s tenderness in mutual submission between a wife and her husband.

Secondly, when it comes to mutual submission in parents—children relationships, we notice that Paul moves toward an authoritarian posture. He says: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord.” And he reminds parents, (fathers in particular) not to abuse their authority over their children by frustrating or “exasperating them.” Mutual submission out of reverence for the Lord among parents and children, then, runs not so much along lines of responsibility (as in husbands—wives relationships) but along lines of authority.

That same line of authority comes into play with slaves and masters in the workplace. Slaves have responsibilities, but so do masters. Servants must obey their employers, respect and even defer to or fear their authority. But employers or slave owners in Paul’s days must practice mutuality and mutual submission as well. “Treat your slaves in the same way” (as they treat you with obedience, respect and fear), says Paul.

I cannot explore with you tonight all the dynamics of slave ownership and servitude in the days of Paul, but be assured of this: What Paul is teaching here was radical stuff in his days: the umbrella of mutual submission out of reverence for Christ meant a measure of equality and justice in the workplace or slave-owner relationships that was unheard of then. The seed of the gospel was sown in the households of Paul’s days. That seed has gradually--over the centuries--changed (and is still changing) the relationships among employers and employees, and among husbands and wives as well as parents and children. It took centuries, but the institution of slavery is no longer seen as a humane, legitimate enterprise in most areas of our world.

Thirdly, in all these household relationships we must practice the presence of Christ. I say that in light of the role or center place taken by our Lord Jesus Christ in all these relationships. Did you notice?

Wives must submit to their husbands “as to the Lord.” Husbands must love their wives “just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her….” Children must obey their parents “in the Lord.” And parents must bring up their children “in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

Slaves must obey their earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, “just as they would obey Christ.” And masters must remember that Christ in heaven is both, the Master or Lord of slaves, as well as of slave owners. He is Lord of all.

In all these relationships, then, we note that the Lord Jesus takes center place. He is the model to follow. More than that, Christ calls the shots. He exerts his influence. He is our model for loving our spouse; for bringing up our children in the ways of God; for treating our employers with deference and respect, and for treating our servants or employees with mutual respect and obligations of care. Christ is present in all these relationships. And therefore I can say that we must practice the presence of Christ.

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When it comes to practical applications to the Bible’s injunctions in this passage, we must limit ourselves. I will mention a few, beginning with a word to children.

Children, obedience is not a dirty word. It’s a magic word that leads to happiness when parents and children do what God tells us to do. Children, for example, are under the authority of parents. God uses parents to sustain children and their lives. Children need food and clothes. Parents provide. Children need to learn and grow in knowledge. Parents instruct; children need to mature as citizens; parents and schools enable children to flourish and establish themselves. In order to grow up strong and healthy and become mature, children must follow the lead of their parents.

Obeying your parents, then, in general, is the right thing to do. Your parents gave you life by birth. Now you must grow up under their authority, always remembering that you and your parents are under the authority of Christ. All of this means that children must know their place. When children obey their parents, children will avoid chaos and lots of pain in their homes. Check it out. Wherever you find kids in trouble, you usually find a home in disarray.

That’s why God reminds us in the 5^th commandment that children who honor and obey their parents tend to live longer because they grow up in homes or environments that are safe, not chaotic, but structured—defined by loving and respectful relationships.

Now a word to parents: Parents must assume a leadership role in the home. Accept the role that God gives you as a parent. We are custodians or stewards of the children God gives us. They are God’s gifts, and we are called to guide, shape, lead, nurture, protect, discipline, and train them to become what God is calling them to be: men and women who live as disciples of Christ and who learn to practice the presence of Christ in their lives.

As stewards of our children, we must exercise our God-given authority over them. Parents set the boundaries. Parents insist on appropriate behavior; parents decide what’s best for children as they grow up. Parents set the rules and model to the children how to keep the rules; parents demand respect from their children and show them how to give respect. Parents show the way of love and service, and parents demand nothing less but the same from their children.

In all of our parenting, then, let us also practice the presence of God in our own lives and make Christ the center of our home and relationships.

One final word: now in regard to our work and our employer-employee relationships. As I listen to Paul speaking to servants and masters, I realize that behind my work as a Christian employee stands Christ; that behind my employer is Christ. And should I be a Christian employer, I need to remember that behind my employees is the Lord Jesus Christ. Christians in the workplace, then, must practice the presence of Christ.

Listen again to Scripture: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men.” Ask yourself: when you drive to work to carry out the tasks set out by your employer, do you see Christ? As you drive that truck, as you teach those students, as you remodel that house, as you sell those policies, as you construct buildings, and as you keep the books for your clients—do you see Christ with you, behind you, and in front of you?

When I think about these things, I begin to realize that there is no such thing as “just a job.” Our work is sanctified because Christ stands behind it, is in it, has a claim on it. And Christ wishes to exert his influence through us in our tasks and in our work relationships.

Those of us who are unemployed or searching for work, do not be discouraged. Christ does not abandon us. Practice his presence—also in your job search and applications for work. Pray and asks for his guidance. And remember: Christ is Lord—in our marriage, in our parenting, and in our work and employment relationships as well.

Glory be to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.