Word@Work Eph67 - Ephesians 5:22-24
Published: Wed, 01/07/09
Word@Work from BeaconLight
CARRYING THE CAN
Ephesians 5:22-24 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Saviour. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. (NIV)
Mutual submission is the 'Jesus-rule' for harmonious living - we unpacked that yesterday. Paul now examines the principle in the areas of marriage, family and work. Firstly: marriage. Although submission is now considered almost to be a form of abuse, it simply means 'to place yourself' under the authority of another. In other words, the buck has to stop somewhere, and all those who are grateful it does not stop with them, submit to that person's authority! That does not mean the person is always right, cleverer or supernaturally wise, it just means that the responsibility cannot be off loaded onto anyone else. And we know what that means in the workplace.
In God's design for marriage, the Bible says that it is the husband who has to take the final responsibility. That is not to say that the wife may not be sharper witted, a better multi-tasker, better at DIY and more competent to understand the emotional needs of the children - often all that is true. But what it does say is that there is an inescapable responsibility upon the husband (who will certainly also need all the advice that his wife offers) and in the end, he has to 'carry the can'. Properly done, this relieves the wife of the burden of ultimate liability and allows her freedom to exercise wisdom in the many areas of her life, including the home and work environments.
This principle is not arbitrary. It is all based on the way that Jesus Christ loves the church (all of us who believe in Him). His love was one of total commitment, in self-sacrificial giving of Himself to meet our needs. That is the pattern for husbands! As we submit to Christ, so we benefit from all His self-giving love ... if we refuse to submit then we lose out on so much that He would freely give to us. This is no small challenge, but the prize is huge - not least in the formation of a relationship that will stand for eternity. It is the same in marriage except that we only have to weather the storms of time. It may not sound PC but the way that Jesus Christ loved the world was totally unique in His time, and not matched since. It was an amazingly effective love too. So Christians have the very best example as they steer their way through marriage - and we have His promise that He is with us always, to help us to do it.
Prayer: Dear Lord. Thank you so much for your amazingly self-sacrificial love for us, and for taking the ultimate responsibility for the burden of our sins. Help me to understand how you have designed marriage so that I can encourage Christians to follow your example, by being an example myself. To Your praise and glory. Amen.
You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and Spanish
Mutual submission is the 'Jesus-rule' for harmonious living - we unpacked that yesterday. Paul now examines the principle in the areas of marriage, family and work. Firstly: marriage. Although submission is now considered almost to be a form of abuse, it simply means 'to place yourself' under the authority of another. In other words, the buck has to stop somewhere, and all those who are grateful it does not stop with them, submit to that person's authority! That does not mean the person is always right, cleverer or supernaturally wise, it just means that the responsibility cannot be off loaded onto anyone else. And we know what that means in the workplace.
In God's design for marriage, the Bible says that it is the husband who has to take the final responsibility. That is not to say that the wife may not be sharper witted, a better multi-tasker, better at DIY and more competent to understand the emotional needs of the children - often all that is true. But what it does say is that there is an inescapable responsibility upon the husband (who will certainly also need all the advice that his wife offers) and in the end, he has to 'carry the can'. Properly done, this relieves the wife of the burden of ultimate liability and allows her freedom to exercise wisdom in the many areas of her life, including the home and work environments.
This principle is not arbitrary. It is all based on the way that Jesus Christ loves the church (all of us who believe in Him). His love was one of total commitment, in self-sacrificial giving of Himself to meet our needs. That is the pattern for husbands! As we submit to Christ, so we benefit from all His self-giving love ... if we refuse to submit then we lose out on so much that He would freely give to us. This is no small challenge, but the prize is huge - not least in the formation of a relationship that will stand for eternity. It is the same in marriage except that we only have to weather the storms of time. It may not sound PC but the way that Jesus Christ loved the world was totally unique in His time, and not matched since. It was an amazingly effective love too. So Christians have the very best example as they steer their way through marriage - and we have His promise that He is with us always, to help us to do it.
Prayer: Dear Lord. Thank you so much for your amazingly self-sacrificial love for us, and for taking the ultimate responsibility for the burden of our sins. Help me to understand how you have designed marriage so that I can encourage Christians to follow your example, by being an example myself. To Your praise and glory. Amen.
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