The Love Slave
"And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever." Exodus 21: 5-6.
One of the things I hate is that humans, in their depravity, can take any holy thing and corrupt it. Take the concept of the love slave. The idea is plainly taught in scripture. It is a good and holy thing. Yet, when men get ahold of it they turn it into something that sounds dirty and pornographic. But what men mean for evil God means for good. A love slave is what every Christian ought to be.
The idea is very simple. Every seven years, slaves were freed in Israel. However, if a slave loved his master so much that he could not bear the thought of life without being a slave of that master, the slave could petition the master to keep him as a slave forever. This relationship was cemented when the master would take the slave to the doorpost of the house, and put the slave's earlobe against the doorpost and pierce the ear with an awl ... pinning it (so to speak) to the doorpost. This pierced ear was the mark of the love slave and that slave could never again be free of his master except by death. His whole life would be spent as a slave to that master. The cord that bound him to his master was the cords of love.
Jesus is a master to his people. We are told in the Bible in several spots that we are bought with a price. We are bought, not with corruptible things but with incorruptible ... with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. One of the Apostle Paul's favorite terms for himself was bondservant. A bond servant was an owned servant ... a slave. Paul saw himself as a slave to Jesus Christ.
Shouldn't we all see ourselves that way? Jesus told us that the law was summed up in two commandments. Now, we all know them by heart. Love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. Then to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Notice the first, to love the Lord our God with everything we are. We often (as Christians) talk about loving Jesus. In our churches we sing hymns with lyrics like "Oh! How I love Jesus! Because he first loved me." Right? If we really loved Jesus like that, is it a stretch to call for us to see ourselves having our ears pierced to the doorpost of the master's house? Is it a stretch to call for all of us to surrender to Jesus as love slaves to a master we can't live without?
The Bible talks about Christians having circumcised hearts. Let me add the idea of having pierced ears too. It is a Biblical idea. It is a Christian idea. It is an idea we all ought to embrace. Me? I am a love slave of Jesus Christ, my Lord, Master and God. I will not surrender the term (love slave) to the depraved imaginations of dirty minded people. Let my pierced ear boldly proclaim my love for my Master, Jesus Christ. How about you? Will you have your ear pierced and be bound by cords of love to your Master Jesus Christ? You should.
"And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever." Exodus 21: 5-6.
One of the things I hate is that humans, in their depravity, can take any holy thing and corrupt it. Take the concept of the love slave. The idea is plainly taught in scripture. It is a good and holy thing. Yet, when men get ahold of it they turn it into something that sounds dirty and pornographic. But what men mean for evil God means for good. A love slave is what every Christian ought to be.
The idea is very simple. Every seven years, slaves were freed in Israel. However, if a slave loved his master so much that he could not bear the thought of life without being a slave of that master, the slave could petition the master to keep him as a slave forever. This relationship was cemented when the master would take the slave to the doorpost of the house, and put the slave's earlobe against the doorpost and pierce the ear with an awl ... pinning it (so to speak) to the doorpost. This pierced ear was the mark of the love slave and that slave could never again be free of his master except by death. His whole life would be spent as a slave to that master. The cord that bound him to his master was the cords of love.
Jesus is a master to his people. We are told in the Bible in several spots that we are bought with a price. We are bought, not with corruptible things but with incorruptible ... with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. One of the Apostle Paul's favorite terms for himself was bondservant. A bond servant was an owned servant ... a slave. Paul saw himself as a slave to Jesus Christ.
Shouldn't we all see ourselves that way? Jesus told us that the law was summed up in two commandments. Now, we all know them by heart. Love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. Then to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Notice the first, to love the Lord our God with everything we are. We often (as Christians) talk about loving Jesus. In our churches we sing hymns with lyrics like "Oh! How I love Jesus! Because he first loved me." Right? If we really loved Jesus like that, is it a stretch to call for us to see ourselves having our ears pierced to the doorpost of the master's house? Is it a stretch to call for all of us to surrender to Jesus as love slaves to a master we can't live without?
The Bible talks about Christians having circumcised hearts. Let me add the idea of having pierced ears too. It is a Biblical idea. It is a Christian idea. It is an idea we all ought to embrace. Me? I am a love slave of Jesus Christ, my Lord, Master and God. I will not surrender the term (love slave) to the depraved imaginations of dirty minded people. Let my pierced ear boldly proclaim my love for my Master, Jesus Christ. How about you? Will you have your ear pierced and be bound by cords of love to your Master Jesus Christ? You should.
posted by John | Thursday, April 24, 2008
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