Wednesday, June 12 | Colossians 3:18-4:1 | Amy Jackson
In these verses, we are reminded that the gospel changes everything - including how we treat one another. Paul’s words here might not seem radical to us, but they are revolutionary considering their first-century context! First, Paul speaks to family relationships. Notice first that Paul is talking to husbands and wives - he isn’t addressing how men and women ought to interact in the church or work. And, he addresses them equally here, which is a drastic change from their place in the first-century society! Jewish wives were considered property and could be treated like possessions. But Paul encourages wives to submit freely to their husbands - and for husbands to love their wives and not to be harsh with them (Colossians 3:18-19).
Second, Paul speaks to parents and children. He encourages children to obey their parents, mirroring the fifth commandment (Exodus 20:12). He also warns fathers not to provoke their children (Colossians 3:21). Under Roman law, fathers could do whatever they wanted with their kids - they could sell them into slavery, abuse them, or even kill them! But we are reminded here that everything changes because of Christ. We are also reminded that both excessive discipline and lack of discipline are dangerous; children need rules and guideposts, but they also need parents who love them and want what is best for them - who intentionally invest their time in loving their children as God has loved them. Without rules, we are left on our own. Some restriction is good - loving parents don’t allow their children to run into the street in the face of traffic, after all!
Third, Paul speaks to the relationship between slaves and masters. Slavery was common in this era; Paul doesn’t condone slavery but does remind us that our faith changes how we live - including our working relationships. He encourages slaves to work as if they are working for God - and for masters to treat their slaves fairly (Colossians 3:22-23, 4:1). This command can be translated into our world, where most of us are employers or employees. We answer to God in how we work and how we treat one another. Employees - are you working with a full heart, eager to please the Father rather than just trying to gain eye-service through people-pleasing and doing only the minimum job necessary? Employers - do you treat your employees fairly and with kindness, remembering that you also have a Master in heaven?
Spend some time reflecting on how you are proclaiming the gospel through your relationships - both in your home and in your workplace. We have the opportunity to proclaim God’s love through our interactions with one another - especially in our homes and our workplaces. How might God be challenging you in these ways?
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