4 Masters,
treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a
Master in heaven.2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being
watchful in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 4:1-2
Paul continues with his relational instructions, this time to
employers. As workers in many different capacities, we are called to work as if
for the Lord. But those in charge have responsibilities too. They are to treat
employees justly and fairly. They
may be large and in charge in their work space, but ultimately God is the boss.
In doing a little research on the mater/bondservant relationship,
there is a redemptive approach to God’s instructions to His people. Not only
does God instruct us to have weekly Sabbath time to rest, He instructs His people
to have a sort of Sabbath year to renew
and reset all things.
8 “You shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the
time of the seven weeks of years shall give you forty-nine years. 9 Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh
month. On the Day
of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land. 10 And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim
liberty
throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan. Leviticus
25:8-9
The Jubilee was a Sabbath year after seven times seven years (49
years). It was a year to celebrate and rejoice. It was a year to release prisoners, captives, indebtedness, bondage.
Debt was forgiven. Land was returned. God didn’t intend for any inequities to
continue.
I love to see the foreshadowing
of Jesus in the Old Testament, hundreds of years before He set foot on
earth. In the Year of Jubilee, we get a picture of the redemption, freedom,
slate wiped clean, restoration that would come with Jesus. This time in the
form of freedom from literal slavery. And notice when it happens…on the day of atonement. The day one time a
year that the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies and make a sacrifice for the sins of the people.
Look how Jesus begins His ministry as told by Luke…
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he
stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it
was written,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set
at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to
proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:16-21
Jesus reads from the prophet Isaiah and tells them today the Scripture has been fulfilled.
Jesus came proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor – the year of Jubilee – and
not just for another 49 years, but
forever. Captivity and oppression from sin no more. The debt was forgiven.
Prayer
Immediately after the instructions regarding relationships, Paul
brings up prayer. We are unable to perform
our duties without a dedicated, devoted, disciplined prayer life. Our
connection to God via prayer is essential.
Three specific instructions are given regarding prayer: steadfast, watchful, grateful. According to
dictionary.com…
Steadfast
–
firm in direction and purpose; unwavering; resolute
Watchful
–
vigilant; alert; closely observant
Grateful
–
warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received
When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane
fervently praying before His crucifixion, He tells His disciples to do the same.
Watch and pray that you may not enter into
temptation. The spirit indeed is
willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41
Prayer
helps align our weak flesh with the spirit. We have to pray firm in direction –
to God, seeking His will. We have to pray on purpose – make time for it. We have
to be unwavering and resolute in our prayer time. We have to be alert and
observant to God’s voice as we speak to Him in prayer. And in all, we have to
be deeply appreciative of what God has done for us and the power available to
us.
When I think about my personal prayer time, I’m definitely
convicted by these instructions.
Indeed, the
spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
The solution…continue in steadfast, watchful, grateful prayer.
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