Together in Christ #24

In large households of the day, there would often be much more than immediate or extended family members; there would be servants, craftsman, and others sharing the dwelling with the owner. That is the picture in Ephesians 6:

5 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. 9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.

Throughout history there has always been stress between the owner of lands and businesses, and those who work for or live on their land.  This has especially been intense when owners believe they also own their renters, workers, servants and slaves.  But in Christ, those barriers are broken down. From God's perspective looking in on this masterpiece He is creating, we are all pieces of the puzzle He is putting together. Any manmade divisions and self-centered thoughts are to be resisted and mutual respect is to be expressed. Our focus is not to be on what divides us, but Who unites us, as we live out this "good will" toward each other that Christ came to provide.