Homilies on Ephesians

<!--<span class="stiki"></span>-->Ephesians 6:5-8

“Servants, be obedient unto them that, according to the flesh, are your masters, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; not in the way of eye-service, as men-pleasers: but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good-will doing service, as unto the Lord, and not unto men: knowing that whatsoever good thing each one does, the same shall he receive again from the Lord, whether he be bond or free.”

Thus then it is not husband only, nor wife, nor children, but virtuous servants also that contribute to the organization and protection of a house. Therefore the blessed Paul has not overlooked this department even. He comes to it, however, in the last place, because it is last in dignity and rank. Still he addresses much discourse also to them, no longer in the same tone as to children, but in a far more advanced way, inasmuch as he does not hold out to these the promise in this world, but in that which is to come. “Knowing,” says he, “that whatsoever good or evil thing each one does, the same shall he receive of the Lord,” and thus at once instructs them to love wisdom. For though they be inferior to the children in dignity, still in mind they are superior to them.

“Servants,” says he, “be obedient to them that, according to the flesh, are your masters.”

Thus at once he raises up, at once soothes the wounded soul. Be not grieved, he seems to say, that you are inferior to the wife and the children. Slavery is nothing but a name. The mastership is “according to the flesh,” brief and temporary; for whatever is of the flesh, is transitory.

“With fear,” he adds, “and trembling.”

You see that he does not require the same fear from slaves as from wives: for in that case he simply said, “and let the wife see that she fear her husband”; whereas in this case he heightens the expression, “with fear,” he says, “and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ.” This is what he constantly says. What do you mean, blessed Paul? He is a brother, or rather he has become a brother, he enjoys the same privileges, he belongs to the same body. Yea, more, he is the brother, not of his own master only, but also of the Son of God, he is partaker of all the same privileges; yet do you say, “obey your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling”? Yes, for this very reason, he would say, I say it. For if I charge free men to submit themselves one to another in the fear of God—as he said above, “submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ”;— if I charge moreover the wife to fear and reverence her husband, although she is his equal; much more must I so speak to the servant. It is no sign of low birth, rather it is the truest nobility, to understand how to lower ourselves, to be modest and unassuming, and to give way to our neighbor. And the free have served the free with much fear and trembling.

“In singleness of heart,” he says.

And it is well said, since it is possible to serve with fear and trembling, and yet not of good will, but in just any way that may be possible. Many servants in many instances secretly cheat their masters. And this cheating accordingly he does away, by saying, “in singleness of your heart as unto Christ, not in the way of eye-service as men-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good-will doing service, as unto the Lord, and not unto men.” Do you see how many words he requires, in order to implant this good principle, “with goodwill,” I mean, and “from the heart”? That other service, “with fear and trembling” I mean, we see many rendering to their masters, and the master's threat goes far to secure that. But show, says he, that you serve as “the servant of Christ,” not of man. Make the right action your own, not one of compulsion. Just as in the words which follow, he persuades and instructs the man who is ill-treated by another to make the right action his own, and the work of his own free choice. Because inasmuch as the man that smites the cheek, is not supposed to come to that act in consequence of any intention in the person struck, but only of his own individual malice, what says He? “Turn to him the other also”; to show him that in submitting to the first thou were not unwilling. For he that is lavish in suffering wrong, makes that his own which is not his own act, by suffering himself to be smitten on the other cheek also, and not merely by enduring the first blow. For this latter will have perhaps the appearance even of cowardice; but that of a high philosophy.— Thus you will show that it was for the sake of wisdom that you bore the first blow also. And so in the present case, show here too, that you bear this slavery also willingly. The man-pleaser then is no servant of Christ. The servant of Christ is not a man-pleaser. For who that is the servant of God, makes it his object to please men? And who that pleases men, can be a servant of God?

“From the heart,” says he, “with good-will doing service.” For since it is possible to do service even with singleness of heart and not wrongfully, and yet not with all one's might, but only so far as fulfilling one's bounden duty, therefore he says, do it with alacrity, not of necessity, upon principle, not upon constraint. If thus thou do service, you are no slave; if you do it upon principle, if with good-will, if from the heart, and if for Christ's sake. For this is the servitude that even Paul, the free man, serves, and exclaims, “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus, as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.” Look how he divests your slavery of its meanness. For just in the same way as the man who has been robbed, if he gives still more to him who has taken, is not ranked among those robbed, but rather among liberal givers; not among those who suffer evil, but among those who do good; and rather clothes the other with disgrace by his liberality, than is clothed with disgrace by being robbed—so, I say, in this case, by his generosity he will appear at once more high-minded, and by showing that he does not feel the wrong, will put the other to shame.

Let us then do service to our masters for Christ's sake, “knowing,” he continues, “that whatsoever good thing each one does, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.” For inasmuch as it was probable that many masters, as being unbelievers, would have no sense of shame, and would make no return to their slaves for their obedience, observe how he has given them encouragement, so that they may have no misgiving about the remuneration, but may have full confidence respecting the recompense. For as they who receive a benefit, when they make no return, make God a debtor to their benefactors; so, I say, do masters also, if, when well-treated by you, they fail to requite you, requite you the more, by rendering God your debtor.

Ver. 9. “And ye masters,” he continues, “do the same things unto them.”

The same things. What are these? “With good-will do service.” However he does not actually say, “do service,” though by saying, “the same things,” he plainly shows this to be his meaning. For the master himself is a servant. “Not as men-pleasers,” he means, “and with fear and trembling”: that is, toward God, fearing lest He one day accuse you for your negligence toward your slaves.

“And forbear threatening;” be not irritating, he means, nor oppressive.

“Knowing that both their Master and yours is in Heaven.”

Ah! How mighty a Master does he hint at here! How startling the suggestion! It is this. “With what measure you measure, it shall be measured unto you again”; lest you hear the sentence, “Thou wicked servant. I forgave you all that debt.”

“And there is no respect of persons,” he says, “with Him.”

Think not, he would say, that what is done towards a servant, He will therefore forgive, because done to a servant. Heathen laws indeed as being the laws of men, recognize a difference between these kinds of offenses. But the law of the common Lord and Master of all, as doing good to all alike, and dispensing the same rights to all, knows no such difference.