Col.
3:18-4:1
“On Various Human Relationships--2”
Last week,
we examined these commands in light of who God is--the
self-existing, all-sufficient God who made us so that we might share in His
abundant, overflowing happiness and joy. There is another very important
perspective which was only hinted at last week. Today let us expand on it as it
will spur us on to a fuller enjoyment of God and His riches even in our human
relationships.
A good way
of introducing the perspective would be Fyodor Dostoevsky’s masterpiece, Crime
and Punishment. In this novel, the main character, Raskolnikov,
a starving university student, commits a murder. He does this in the grand
illusion of Nietzsche’s superman complex, raising himself above the law, giving
himself the license to kill for what he perceives to be the ultimate good of
the scoeity. The person he murders is an odl pawnbroker, Alyona Ivanovna, whom he considers, and is probably considered by
man, as the dregs of the society. But after the carefully planned and executed
murder, Raskolnikov is surprised by the waves of
guilt that relentlessly crash against his conscience. This relentless attack of
guilt is personified in the relentless pursuit of Porfiry
Petrovich, the detective in charge of the murder
case. Opposite to Petrovich stands Sonya, a
prostitute, who loves Raskolnikov. Despite her
shameful status, into which she was forced on account of her family, she serves
as a voice of conscience to Raskolnikov and it is she
who finally convinces him to surrender himself to the police. And it is here
that we see a radical difference between Petrovich
and Sonya: Sonya’s Christian conviction and strong sense of morality do more
than convict Raskolnikov of his wrongdoing; they are
communicated in the spirit of sacrificial love, which drives her to go all the
way to
But we know
that even this true love of Sonya cannot provide true redemption for Raskolnikov. Even such love cannot bring true redemption
for us under the judgment of God. For our redemption, we need more than a true
love; we need an efficacious love, a capable love, a powerful love, to deliver
us from the punishment of sin. For there is no deliverance from the punishment
of sin once we are subjected to it, the punishment being our eternal damnation
in hell. The love that merely accompanies us won’t do. What is the use of
commiseration in hell? We need a love that spares us completely from the fiery
lake of hell. How can such a redemption be
accomplished? There is only one way: what God commands us to do, He must also
do it for us because of our total inability to do so. The good news is that
indeed what God has commanded us to do, He has done it
on our behalf in His Son. How wonderful is our God! He was not content to sit
in His judgment throne and demand our obedience--although He had all the right
to do so. His love was too great for Him to sit in His heavenly throne and see
us perish in our sin and misery. But He could not waive our sin and guilt as if
nothing had happened: He cannot deny Himself, His holy and righteous Self, and
let our sin go unpunished. But He could not deny His love and mercy either. So
He appointed His only Son to be our covenant Representative, our Substitute: as
the eternal Son of God, He alone could bear away our infinite guilt of sinning
against an infinitely holy God!
Therefore,
now, when we consider God’s commandments, they are more that just legal
expressions of His holy and righteous character, more than simply a list of
what He demands of us. There in the commandments we now see God’s own example, actually
doing what He requires of us through His Son. On the one hand, these commands
show us how Christ has fulfilled them already on our behalf so that we no
longer have to do them in order to acquire our salvation, not even to maintain
our salvation! On the other hand, these commands show us how we ought to live
as those who have already been saved, to live in a manner worthy of God’s
gracious love. They are no longer a requirement for our salvation;
rather, they serve as the evidence of our salvation. If a great warning
is issued against neglecting the law of God, it is not because we are saved by it;
it is rather because our gross negligence of the law of God can be evidence of
our never having been saved in the first place. For, though we are not saved by
works, we are saved to work. And it is in Christ that we find the
perfect example of how we ought to live as God’s children.
But Christ
is, and has to be, more than just an example to us, of course. For we on our
own can never follow His example: our problem is not any absence of good
examples but our unwillingness and inability to emulate the good examples. If
so, how much more impossible it is for us to live up to Christ’s perfect
example! But what is impossible with men is possible in Christ! Since we have
been crucified with Christ and it is Christ who lives in us (Gal.
As we hear
these commands, we are impressed by the emphasis on submission and obedience.
Consistently throughout this section those who must submit are addressed first.
In addition, the longest command is addressed to slaves for their obedience to
their earthly masters.
The second
thing that impresses us is the absolute language in which obedience is
described: children are to obey their parents in everything (v. 20);
slaves are to obey their earthly masters in everything (v. 22). The
directive for wives does not contain the same phrase (v. 18). Instead of “in
everything” we have “as is fitting in the Lord”. This phrase can be seen as
restrictive: wives are to submit only insofar as the Lord sees fit, not
literally in everything. This shouldn’t come to us as a surprise. If it is in
obedience to the Lord that we should obey our earthly superiors, we cannot obey
them when they ask us to do something against the law of God! Then what about
the commands to children and slaves? Surely, we cannot think that something
different and more is required of children and slaves when they are charged to
obey in everything! Does the phrase, ‘as is fitting in the Lord’, indeed
require anything less than subjection ‘in everything’”? I do not think so. Calvin
says that this phrase rather means, “according to the appointment of the Lord,
so that he [that is, Paul] confirms the subjection of wives by the authority of
God.”
But I think
that there is yet another possible interpretation, which brings it in line with
the rest of the passage, particularly with the absolute language of the other
commands given to children and slaves: “as is fitting in the Lord” can mean “as
is appropriate for those who are indebted to the Lord for their new life in Him”.
If so, we must think about how we came to be saved from our sins and to possess
this new life in Him. It was through His humble submission to His Father’s
will! What kind of submission, then, is fitting in the Lord, who submitted to
His Father’s will perfectly in everything--willingly, completely and totally? Can
our obedience be characterized as anything other than “in everything”? And what
is the rationale for all of Christian ethic? Is it not our union with Christ,
which makes it compelling and mandatory to live in conformity to Christ in all
that we do and say and think? When we are united with the One, who obeyed in
everything, how can our obedience be otherwise?
Let us
think further about the obedience of Christ to the Father. Why the absolute
submission and obedience to the Father? Was it because He was in any way
inferior to the Father? No, as our Shorter Catechism 6 affirms, He is “the same
in substance [with the Father], equal in power and glory”. Yet, as Son, He
willingly submits to the Father and His submission is not prompted by dread or
fear of rejection and punishment; rather, His submission is always prompted by
His infinite love for the Father. Does this--Christ’s such humility-- take
anything away from His equality with the Father? Of course not! His voluntary
condescension only brings greater honor and glory not only to the Father but
also to Himself! That is the beauty of true humility! The Father is honored,
obviously, by the respect and honor given to Him by the Son in His absolute obedience
and submission. But in doing so, the Son is not degraded, is He? Imagine seeing
a gentleman in a small church like ours vacuuming the fellowship hall week
after week at the end of each Lord’s Day. You feel appreciative for his
faithful service but think nothing of it, really. But after a few months, you
find out that he is the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. What would be your
response? Would you look down on him for doing such a menial job or would you
esteem him all the more for his humility? And the man’s humility will only
honor his Lord, for whose sake he considers even the humblest task a greatest
honor. The same is true of the Son of God and His humble and willing submission
to His Father’s will.
Yet some
may say, “Yes, I can see how that can be true with Christ and those in
positions of honor. But what about someone lowly and powerless like me? When
people in high positions humble themselves, they get honor. But when the lowly
people humble themselves, it is viewed as only natural at best. The humility of
the humble is taken as nothing more than a sign of weakness and inferiority,
exposing them to further exploitation and oppression.” This may be why all of
us find submission difficult and even repulsive. Such thinking poses a
formidable challenge to our Christian life and we all know how difficult it is.
But it is a challenge that we cannot ignore or avoid or succumb to. If we do,
we will be paralyzed in our Christian living and live in continual sin against
God and others. After all, how many of us are really in position of great
honor?
But let us
stop dwelling on the difficulty for a moment and see things from God’s point of
view. For what really matters in the end are not our ideas and opinions and
feelings and those of others but the perspective of the all-knowing, all-wise
and all-powerful God. He is the ultimate Judge of true reality, not we with our
limited knowledge and fallible opinions. And God says, “Whoever
exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted”
(Matt.
“Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and
are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands
like fine dust.
“Less than
nothing and emptiness” are the nations before our great God. If
the nations are less than nothing before God, what about individual men and
women? When such a man exalts himself, is he not making a biggest fool
of himself? And indeed he will be humbled--God will see to it.
But our
gracious God declares that, if we humble ourselves, He will exalt us, not just
say, “Well, you’ve done what you were supposed to do. Stay down there in your
humility and humiliation.” Is He calling only the great men to humble themselves? No, our Lord says, “whoever”! There is no man
who is so great that he is exempted from this. Neither is there any man or
child who is so humble that he is exempted from this. And why should all of us
humble ourselves? Because we are humble creatures! Because we are humble
creatures, we are called to humble ourselves. Isn’t that the most natural thing
to do? And we are assured by God, who cannot break His promise, “Whoever
exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted!”
Do you believe in this promise? I hope you do! I hope that we are not so
earthly-minded and man-centered that we think of being exalted only in the eyes
of men in this world! What are the approval and applause of fickle men? Do you
not see how people’s attention is drawn from one celebrity to another? The
spotlight shines on you only as long as the play lasts. And even before the
play is finished, as soon as your part is done, the spotlight is moved to
someone else. Yes, each of us may be the main character in our own play. But
isn’t it sadly true that most of the plays we are in, nobody in this world
really pays any attention to? But we have a Critic in God, whose review has
eternal consequences. And He promises to exalt us if we humble ourselves, if we
submit to those in authority over us, as Christ Himself did willingly. And if
we are exalted in His sight, what more could we want? For now, we may be
exalted in secret by our heavenly Father, who sees in secret. But we shall be
exalted before all the angels and all men when Christ shall return to usher us
into His kingdom of eternal glory! Doesn’t this, and shouldn’t this, thrill our
hearts with hope and encouragement? Doesn’t this give us the inner strength to
smile even at the jeering and mockery of men, even when people do not recognize
us and honor us?
But there is
a sense in which our submission conforms us to
Christ’s submission. For in Jesus Christ we are not just
“less than nothing and emptiness”. We who were less than nothing have
become in Jesus Christ the beloved children of the almighty God; we who were
less than emptiness have been filled with the fullness of God in Jesus Christ! You
are no longer nothing in the eyes of God! Oh, how you
are treasured in God’s heart! “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she
should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I
will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your
walls are continually before me” (Isa. 49:15-16),
declares the Lord. So when we humble ourselves and submit to those over us, it
becomes truly impressive--far more impressive than any CEO doing a menial job!
How can we not submit and obey as Christ
did? And not surprisingly, a most comprehensive description of true obedience
is provided in Paul’s injunction to slaves, the lowliest in social status: “Slaves,
obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of
eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord”
(v. 22). This is the way we ought to serve God and it is in obedience to God.
And because it is in obedience to God that we serve those in authority, we
ought to serve them in like manner. What Paul is saying is that the Lord Jesus
Christ stands between us and all those we have relationship with. It is Christ
we are serving when we interact with others. And we are to represent
Christ--His humility and His love--to everyone we come in contact and have
relationship with.
We must not forget that, even in our earthly relations, it is ultimately to
God that we are accountable. And what is so amazing is that, even in this
regard, God does first what He asks of us. If there is anyone who does not need
to be accountable to anyone else, it is God. For He is always
true to Himself and He cannot deny Himself in any way. But God has made Himself accountable to us! How? Through His covenant with
us! What does it mean for our God to enter into a covenant with us? Do we
realize how much condescension is involved in this arrangement? Think about the
Bible you are holding in your hands, God’s revelation to His people. Why the
revelation? God is making Himself accountable to us by
telling us what He would do! A most dramatic example of this is when He says
that “the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants
the prophets” (Amos 3:7)!
God’s condescension is shown even in His great and mighty acts in history!
Do you think that God is always eager to show off His power? It is one thing
for a rock star to sing in front of his adoring fans, in whose eyes he can do
no wrong! But it is another thing for an aspiring actress to audition for a
part to prove herself before critical directors and
producers. It is one thing for God to demonstrate His glory and power to His
faithful servants. But it is another thing for God to demonstrate His power to
“prove Himself” against the unbelief and rebellion of His people. What
condescension on the part of God! But because of the covenant He established,
He was willing to condescend as low as it was necessary to reach down and save
us sinners from the pit of hell--for the Father, to the point of sacrificing
His Son, His only begotten Son; for the Son, to the point of “descending into
hell” to deliver us from its fiery lake! He who does not need to be accountable
to anyone thus made Himself accountable to us. And on the final day, He will
justify Himself--He will prove Himself a just God--before all men and angels as
the God of justice and love by rendering judgment to all according to what they
truly deserve!
People are looking for love. Just listen to the songs on the radio and go
to the movies. How often can we find true love--a love that is not only true
and genuine but also does not compromise what is right and good. And even if we
find that kind of true love, does it have the power to
deliver us from our troubles? Can we expect it to do more than just commiserate
with us through our sicknesses, our heartache and our troubles and
tribulations? What wondrous love we have in Jesus Christ! In Jesus Christ we
have a Savior, who not only commands us to do what is right but also does it on
our behalf and bears the punishment of our miserable failures. His love does
not just accompany us to hell and commiserate with us there--what use is such a
love in hell? He has delivered us from hell completely. He has not done it to
make us licentious and continue in our sinfulness, has He? We must not forget
that the ultimate goal of His love is that, as He has taken upon Himself our
sin and death, we might take up His righteousness and life! The commands in our
passage show the greatness of Christ’s self-giving love and His total obedience
to the Father. May we see in these commands the radical love of Christ! May
that amazing vision move us to complete and radical obedience to the Lord and
through it to self-giving love (if we are in a position of authority) and
humble submission to others (if we are in a position of subordination). Let us
do this in humble obedience to the Lord until that day when we, who have
humbled ourselves in the likeness of the suffering Servant of the Lord, shall
be exalted also in the likeness of the resurrected Lord! Amen.
© Copyright 2007 by Jeong Woo “James” Lee
All Rights Reserved.