Ephesians 6.1-12 (4)
Pray Psalm 103.1-4.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies…
Sing Psalm 103.1-4.
(Old 100th: All Creatures That on Earth Do Dwell)
O my soul, bless the LORD’s great Name!
His many benefits proclaim:
He pardons sins and heals disease,
and from the pit grants us release.
Read Ephesians 6.1-12; meditate on verse 9.
Who all falls into the category of “masters”?
Preparation
1. How should masters treat those who work for them?
2. What attribute of God does Paul cite here?
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Meditation
Those who are “masters” can be of various types. Parents, for one. Teachers, pastors, bosses, people who chair committees, hosts at a fete or dinner party, team leaders—these are just a few of the roles that involve someone exercising a measure of authority over others. Paul insists that “masters” should be servants, keeping their eyes on Jesus—perhaps as He was washing His disciples’ feet?—and doing all their work as unto the Lord.
A master’s job, it seems to me, is to keep work going forward and to make sure that all who are working have everything they need to perform their assigned duty. Masters must not take their workers for granted, but always be quick to affirm or to offer guidance as needed. Where correction is necessary, masters should be clear and firm but not condemnatory. Masters must always remember that those who work with them are image-bearers of God and should always be treated as such.
God is not partial, Paul warns. Any masters who stray from the path of love and service for their workers may find themselves under the discipline of the Lord. Masters must know that their Master is in heaven and that He sees all their work—their motives and aspirations as well as their conduct of their calling.
All who work in any capacity serve under the watchful eye of our Lord Jesus. And all our work must be done for His glory and for the progress of His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
Masters, in whatever form or responsibility they might find themselves, should “give up threatening” those with whom they work, because all (without partiality) are under the Mastership of our Father in heaven.
For “He Who is both their Master and yours” is overseeing all (Eph. 6.9).
“For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He ponders all his paths” (Prov. 5.21).
All the paths for all the people He sees without partiality. But we can rest assured that He sees—all.
“Now the king of Syria was making war against Israel” and Elisha warned the king of Israel of his enemy’s whereabouts which really angered the Syrian king. So, in the same way that King Herod sought to find the baby Jesus to come and “worship” (kill) Him (Matt. 2.7-12), this king eagerly sought to find the troublemaker, Elisha. “Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.” Elisha was not too concerned about this occurrence, but his servant was distraught. “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
An ungodly master would’ve told his servant to “buck up, get a life, you are here to protect me, not the other way around; and furthermore, you are not with me to be some sniveling coward quaking over enemies coming to kill me!” And so on and so forth.
But a godly master would have a completely different attitude. Like Elisha’s.
So he answered his servant and said, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And then Elisha prayed for his servant, and said, “LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.
And what do you think happened then? “The LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kgs. 6.1-17). Angels galore.
Elisha referred to them both as “us”. He was concerned for his servant’s well-being and prayed for him that he would be able to “see” the hand of God at work for them both. For their protection.
This is the heart of a master/leader who pleases the LORD.
As in the family, someone (the husband/father) needs to be in charge to carry the burden of responsibility.
Thus in churches, businesses, clubs, schoolrooms, governments, etc. someone needs to be in charge; but that someone’s first responsibility is to please the LORD God in his “master” role. Without partiality. To have a caring heart, like Elisha.
“Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven. Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving…” (Col. 4.1, 2). We each have different relationships, roles, and responsibilities to claim within our Personal Mission Field; but each one needs to be fulfilled through caring and instructive love, grace, mercy, and kindness.
“Happy are the people who are in such a state;
Happy are the people whose God is the LORD!” (Ps. 144.15).
Likewise: Happy are those to serve with one who serves The Master.
Reflection
1. Are you “master” over anyone? How will you treat them today?
2. What if your “masters” aren’t so gracious? How should you relate to them?
3. What could you do right now to improve your “mastership”?
You have a Master to obey, and you and they are but fellow-servants in respect to Christ Jesus. If masters and servants would consider their duties to God, and the account they must shortly give to him, they would be more mindful of their duty to each other, and thus families would be more orderly and happy. Matthew Henry (1662-1714) Commentary on Ephesians 6.9
Pray Psalm 103.19-22.
Pray for all the “masters” you know, that they may rule as unto the Lord, in His strength, for the sake of His blessings, and to glorify His holy Name.
Sing Psalm 103.19-22.
(Old 100th: All Creatures That on Earth Do Dwell)
He rules upon His throne in heav’n;
His sovereign rule o’er all is giv’n.
You angels, bless the LORD, rejoice,
who live in strength to heed His voice.
All you who serve Him, bless the LORD,
all you who heed His righteous Word!
Let all throughout the cosmos whole
unite to praise Him, with my soul!
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
