January 1927
32
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K i n g ’ s
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husbands” (v. 24). In this sense only is she subject—as to one who is devoted to her highest interests. Note, also, the limitation in 6:1 (“in the Lord”). When a husband demands that which Christ for bids, the Supreme Head must rule. “She who holds the heart of her hus band, and controls the conduct of her children, governs the state. She does it directly, positively, gloriously. If she fails to do these things, she proves her unfit ness to rule in the state.” . V. 25. Let husbands now note the obli gations laid upon them. They are heavier than those imposed on-wives. “Love your wives, even as Christ loved . . . and gave Himself?’}::* If husbands obeyed vs. 25-27, wives would have no trouble with vs. '22-24. Some men complain that wives no longer honor man as head. Do they love their wives as Christ loves His Church? Are they thoughtful, kind, sympathetic? “If I had the counsel of young men entering u p o n married life,” says Dr. . Ri l ey, “I should advise, if they want domestic happiness, to multiply tender ex pressions, continue/in gracious conduct, and above all, forget not the potency of manners and flowers.” Beginning with v. 26, the apostle de scribes Christ’s love in detail. He will cling to His Church to the very end when she shall be presented a “glorious Church without spot.or wrinkle.” However im perfect she may be now, she will be “holy and without blemish” when His work in her is finished (v. 27). “So ought men to love their wives— as their own bodies” (v. 28). A man’s wife is his own self. By inborn law, nb man hates his own flesh, unless he is a monster. The Christian husband will “nourish and cherish” his wife, “even as the Lord the Church” (v. 29). How carefully we look after our own bodies! How ten derly Christ ministers to His Body, the Church! “We are members of His. body” (v. 30). Some use this to support the no tion that the Church is the Body, not the Bride of Christ. The very point of the entire passage is that the Church is His Body, because she is united to Him in spiritual marriage even as a man’s wife is said to be his own body (w . 28-29). It is by marriage only that two parties be come one body. After speaking of the marriage tie in v. 31, Paul says specific ally, “I speak concerning Christ and the Church” (v. 32).. As Bride, she is to be “presented to Him” v. 27; cp. Rev. 19:7, 8). Continuing the argument on submission (v. 21), children are next exhorted to submit to parental authority (6 : 1-3). Disobedience to parents is a sign of hopeless depravity (Rom. 1:28-30). It is characteristic of the grievous times of the age end (2 Tim. 3: 1, 2). “This is right” (v. 1). It is a funda mental law of humanity, recognized in all ages, by all races. For the Christian child, there is one limit—when parents demand what Christ would disapprove (v. 1). So vital is this law that God has attached a promise to it (6:2, 3). Paul omits “in the land the Lord thy God giveth thee,” which applied strictly to Israel, and ex tends it to the children of all nations.
and gained, were very happy to see their master, because they each had double the number of talents to show him. What about the servant who was given the one talent? Where is he? He is not at all happy to See his master,even though he has been away on a long journey, for he had not used even the one talent, but had buried it in the ground. When the master asked for the money, he dug up the one talent, and brought it back to his master. The talent could not gain when it was hid in the ground. Now we will hear what the master thought of the three servants. The one with the five talents had five more to show, and the one with two had two more to show. Each of these servants had doubled the money they received. To these two the master said, “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things : enter thou into the joy of thy lord.’*He trusted these servants with many wonderful things now, because they were faithful:;; The one with the one talent was called a wicked and lazy servant, and even his one talent was taken away from him. Jesus is our lord, and some day He is coming back. What'can He say to you and.to me? Are we using the wonderful talents He has given to each of us? We will be rewarded for everything we .do whether bad or good. Will He be able to say to us, “Well done?” (Prayer.) ¿SVC* unto Christ, so let wives be to their own is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for ye are all one in Christ! (Gal. 3:28). In the family, however, the wife is assigned to a subordinate posi tion (not an inferior position), for there must be one head. This headship of the husband is care! fully defined in v. 23: “For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is head of the Church and He is the Saviour of the body.” As Christ cherishes and nourishes the Body, His Church, so the husband as head of the family is to “nourish and cherish” his wife (v. 29). Chrysostom said: “Wouldst thou that thy wife obey thee? Have a care for her, then, as Christ does for the Church.” In this sense, man is head of the wife. He is not authorized by the Scripture to be a censor, dictator, unreasonable boss. The business of a head is to look out for the body. As many a good body is ruined by the poor head that is on it, so many a marriage is ruined by having a head not patterned after Christ. A woman’s first lookout should be to choose a husband who knows the Lord and how to be a head, in the Scriptural sense. As Mrs. John Barrymore said recently: “Getting married is like telephoning. One does not always get connected with the right party.” “Therefore as the Church is subject
they d i s o b e y e d Go d they tried to hide from Him. They were unhappy, for sin always makes iis u n h a p p y . (Review last week’s s t o r y , stressing obedience to God’s Word). Today we have a story about a man going away into a far country. Before he left he gave some money to three servants. This money is called, tal
ents. To one servant he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; then he started on his journey. He did not tell the servants how long he would be gone. As we read this story Jesus wants us to remember that He has gone from this world to heaven, and He has given to each one of us some talents; We have hands and feet to do His errands ; hearts, to love Him; eyes to read His Word; tongues to tell others about Jesus. Many other talents He has given us. Now let us hear what these servants did with the talents given to them. The ser vant who received five talents used them and gained five more. The one who re ceived two talents used his and gained tw o mo r e . E a c h of t h e s e ser vants did just what the Master of the ser vants expected them to do, and when the owner returned home he called his ser vants together and asked them what they had done with the money. The two ser vants who had put their talents to work For some reason the lesson committee has begun the lesson at v. 25 instead of v. 21, where/the division of thought pro perly comes. Perhaps this was because of the pre sent d a y tendency to regard the New Testament teachings concenring wives as too severe. Paul is regarded by some as a hardened old bach elor who delighted in seeing women shackled. These ideas of Scripture teaching are, however, based upon misinterpretation of the apostle’s words. Verse 21 begins with a plea that believers should “submit themselves one to another in the fear of God.” The word “sub mit” here, applied to men as well as women, is the same word used in the next verse of wives. The Spirit-filled man or woman will not be'self-assertive, but ready to subject himself, so far as he can do so cons cientiously, to the will of other believers. The apostle then makes an application of this principle to the home life. “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own hus bands, as unto the Lord” (v. 22). Some women are more subject to other women’s husbands than to their own. Is this a hard saying? Let us see that we take it in its context. The Bible emphasizes woman’s equality with man. The same Paul writes: “There
^ FEBRUARY 13, 1927 MAKING OUR HOMES CHRISTIAN EPHESIANS 5:25-6:4
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