A Slave For Christ Part 1
(Inspired by the book: “A Better Freedom” by Michael Card)
Scripture: Philippians 2:5-8; Matthew 20:28; Exodus 21:32
Introduction:
As we begin this new year, I want to take you back to a very difficult time in American history – the time of slavery. In order for me to get us to the point of understanding where we need to be in our relationship with Christ, we must discuss and come to grips with the idea of slavery. Although some of the information I will share in this series might make us a little uncomfortable, just keep in mind that in the end we should all be slaves of Christ in the truest sense of the word. With that said, come with me as we examine in this series what it means to be a slave for Christ.
A couple of months ago my brother Barry sent me the book, “A Better Freedom – Finding Life as Slaves of Christ” by Michael Card. Mr. Card received inspiration for the book when he began attending an African American Church and was “struck by how the congregation worshipped Jesus as Master.” I was so inspired by the book that I want to share some of the thoughts and lesson learned that I received from the book, especially as it related to slavery during the Old and New Testament times. When I am quoting something directly from the book I will make sure that is noted, but just know, most of what you hear in this series was inspired by the book and if you want to full story, please go and purchase the book and you will be blessed. So let’s begin with the whole notion of slavery.
I. Being Owned By Someone Else
I want to say this up front because anytime we say the word slavery or use the term in a setting where there are both black and white individuals in attendance people get nervous. We have all seen movies portraying what slavery was like in America. If you’re African American, chances are great that somewhere in your family history, there were slaves. If you’re white, chances are great that your ancestors either owned slaves or knew of people who owned slaves. What we often focus on is how blacks were owned and treated by whites. However, there were situations where wealthy black families also own black slaves and they did not treat them much better than their white counter-parts. Because our reference point for slavery is the slavery as represented by American history, the very thought of being a slave both repels and disgusts most people. We do not want to be associated with it in any shape, form or fashion. While we explore this in context to our relationship with Christ, there will be some historical references to what took place in America. In this series I ask that you keep in mind that we are “supposed” to be slaves of Christ and if we do not understand what it means to be a slave, we cannot understand what it means to be a slave for Christ. So the first thing I want to do in this message is put us in the seat (or shoes) of a slave. I have heard that one cannot understand another man’s life unless you walk a mile in that man’s shoes. Today I want us to attempt to walk a mile in the shoes of a slave. You might get uncomfortable with some of the descriptions, but again, remember to focus on the fact that you are a slave by choice for Christ. As a slave for Christ we must understand what we have signed on for so we will stop acting like freed men and start acting like a slave. So let me introduce to you Paul, an African American slave, not by choice. I will tell this from his view point in first person.
A. Paul life before slavery: I was born to a wonderful family that loved me. I would spend my days learning what it meant to be a man within my community. I attended school; learned our history; and was being groomed to step into the responsibilities of manhood when I was suddenly taken from my family. When I was free I could make my decision; come and go as I pleased (with permission) and I could basically do what I wanted to do. There were few restrictions set on me except those that were acceptable in our community. There were no restrictions upon me that were not upon others within our community. I had the same rights and privileges as every other member of our society and we lived in peace. Imagine my horror when I was kidnapped; put in chains; and placed on a ship to be carried to another world. While I was on the ship we were shackled and stored very close together. We were kept in filthy conditions – conditions that even my animal’s at home did not experience. Many of the captives died during the trip and their bodies were cast over the side. I was able to make the journey and then my world turned around again.
B. Entering Slavery. When they took us off the ship, we were surrounded by people who were not the same color as we were. They washed us off and then paraded us down a street to a place where they put us on display. They would yell back and forth and then some paper would be exchanged and the other captive would be led away. As I watched all of this, I was suddenly pushed upon the platform. A man approached me and opened my mouth to examine my teeth. He then probed and prodded my body looking for something. Finally, being happy with what he saw, he gave the other man some paper and then I was dragged away in chains. When I arrived at the new place I could not understand what was being said to me or what I could do. All I knew was that once I was free and now I was not. As the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months and the month into years, I learned what it meant to be a slave. Even though I never lost my desire to be free I adapted to being in slavery. I want to give you a picture of what my life is like as a slave in this place that is so far from my own land.
o I must get up before dark to go out and work in the fields. We are given very little food and we work all day – literally from sun up until its sundown. We are beaten if we work too slowly; if we look the wrong way at the overseer; or if we are singled out for some offense only know by the owner. Some of them take pride in how they beat us. We get a pair of shoes every year and one change of clothing. The places where we live are barely able to house us and they are not very sturdy. When we are allowed to marry, our families can be separated at any time based on the desires of our owner. We have no rights and we live basically at the will of the man who purchased us. At any time he can choose to sell or kill us if we do anything that displeases him. The only time that I have to myself is when I come in out of the fields and by then I am too tired to do anything but lay on the potato sack bed on the ground to sleep. This is the short version of my life as a slave.
Now that you have met Paul the slave, would any of you choose to leave the comfort of your homes and take his place? Would you choose to give up your freedom and your rights to be who you are to take his place? Would you choose to stop going where you please; doing what you want; living like you want in order to change places with Paul and become a slave? Let me give you one additional fact as it relates to slavery.
How many of you have seen the movie “The Help”? If you have seen the movie you may recall how the black “maids” acted when they were in the presence of the white homeowners for whom they worked (well how all but one of the maids acted). Whenever they were in the presence of the white homeowner, there were certain things that they could not do. Some of these actions came directly from slavery times. For example, slaves were always expected to lower their gaze whenever their master looked at them. This was true in the south long after slavery. Blacks in the south were not allowed to look a white person in the eyes and if they did they were considered to be uppity which would lead to other trouble. For a slave, to make eye contact was seen as a mark of insolence (boldly disrespectful). I grew up in Tennessee and I remember some of these interactions back in the sixties when I was a child. A slave had to be mindful of their every act, especially when they were dealing with their masters. So with all of this, I am sure that none of you would voluntarily change places with Paul. Some of you would possibly be willing to purchase him from his owner so that you could provide a better life for him, but he would still be a slave unless you freed him. What I want you to keep in mind is that this is exactly what Jesus did for us. He chose to leave heaven and come to earth to be a slave.
Do you understand that our disgusts for slavery based on the African American experience should aid us in our relationship with Christ? When slavery was prominent in America, the slaves referred to Christ as their true Master, not the man who owned them in this world. Many were the slaves who died prematurely knowing that they were finally being set free to their true Master, Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to think about today. Does the life you’re living exemplify the life of a slave? If you’re truly a slave for Christ, does your life show this? Are you seen as His slave? Turn with me to Philippians 2:5-8 to meet the most well known slave in the history of the world, Jesus Christ.
II. Jesus The Slave
Philippians 2:5-8 reads “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
In order for us to fully grasp what is said here, we need to understand the term “bond-servant” or “servant” as translated in your bible. The Greek word for servant is “doulos.” It literally means slave. It appears approximately seventy-five times in the singular form. If the term in the New Testament meant “slave” we must consider why it was translated as “servant” or “bond-servant.” Earlier I gave an illustration of the life of a slave and I asked you if you would trade your present life and become a slave. Most would not agree to do so. Well consider how it would come across if most references to Christ used the word slave and in choosing to serve Christ you were being asked to become a slave. Just the word itself repels us enough to waver in our commitment level. I personally believe that the choice to use the word servant versus slave was deliberate, especially in the King James Version of the Bible. Remember King James was a King who had slaves. It would be hard for him to see himself as a slave versus a “servant”. But if we are to truly understand what Christ did when He came to earth and what our responses should be to Him, we must accept the fact that He came here as a slave and those who accept Him are asked to become the same. Jesus said the following in Matthew 20:28: “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Jesus said that He came to be a slave and to give His life as a ransom for many. His death on the cross was a slave’s death. The term ransom means that He gave His life to purchase ours. He purchased us with His own blood.
In the verses we read in Philippians, Paul gives a clear example of what Christ did for us. Paul states that Jesus humbled Himself and became obedient. What is the first thing that a slave must learn to do? A slave must learn humility and to be obedient. During slavery times a slave’s life depended on how the accomplished these two things. Our Christ, the one involved greatly in the creation of all things, humbled Himself and became obedient to God. Jesus’ obedience led Him to the cross. How many times have you heard someone say that they will follow someone up to a “certain point” meaning that there are some limitations on how far their “obedience” would go? This was not the case with Jesus. Jesus was obedient even to death. This same type of obedience was leveled on slaves. Slaves had no choice and were expected to be obedient in everything they were told to do. There were no options to say “no” as they had no choice in any matter. If they were ever disobedient, the punishment was severe. Jesus became obedient to the point of death, even the death on a cross.
As I read the book, this was something that I did not fully grasp. The writer describes the cross as “the most excruciating and pervasive symbol of suffering and death in the first century….” which I understood, but what I did not fully grasp was the fact that the dying on a cross was a slave’s death. As you might remember, the cross was used as a form of capital punishment by the Romans and was the primary way they executed criminals. Roman citizens by law could not be crucified – this type of execution was reserved for non-Roman citizens. The writer refers to the traditional accounts of Paul’s and Peter’s deaths as an example. Paul, being a Roman citizen (Acts 22:25-28) was beheaded while Peter, a non-Roman, was crucified. During the New Testament times, crucifixion was viewed as a punishment reserved especially for slaves. But that is not the only thing I want you to consider this morning as it relates to Jesus choosing to become a slave to save us.
A few days prior to the crucifixion, Matthew records that Judas went to the high priest and asked them what they would give him if he handed Jesus over to them. The price they settled on was 30 pieces of silvers. They decided this amount based on a verse from the Torah. The verse is found in Exodus 21:32 and says “If the ox gores a male or female slave, the owner shall give his or her master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.” The rabbis had made the determination that Jesus was a slave and therefore since the base price for any slave was thirty shekels of silver that was the amount given for Jesus. Jesus was sold (betrayed) for the price of a slave. Jesus became a slave (served mankind); was betrayed for the price of a slave (thirty pieces of silver); and died a slave’s death on a cross. He did all of this so that He could purchase us away from our former master – Satan.
So let me ask you again, are you a slave for Christ according to the definition of the word “slave”? As I continue in this series, we will see many examples of how the terms “servant” and “Bond-servant” were referencing the individual becoming slaves. As we continue in this series I hope that you will walk away thinking about your walk with Christ and if you’re a slave for Him.
Until next week, may God bless and keep you.
