Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal, knowing that ye also have a Master in Heaven. Colossians 4:1
One of the criticisms that some people have of the Bible is that it doesn’t condemn slavery. During all of the extended period over which the Bible was written, slavery was a normal and active part of society. That did not make it right, anymore than abortion and open homosexuality are right in our day. But slavery existed and the Bible was written in that environment. At the same time, much of the wrong of slavery is condemned in the Scriptures, and if there are no verses that outright condemn slavery, today’s text comes as close to it as any.
One of the hallmarks of slavery is that it is unfair. Communism (including its half-brother socialism), for example, is a form of slavery, because is offers no advantage for the diligent. Its mantra of ‘from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs’ sounds fair, but is in practice a destroyer of initiative. Economies based on communism are highly wasteful and ineffective. If people are not going to be rewarded for doing a good job, they see no reason to do a good job. In contrast, free enterprise rewards the diligent by allowing them to reap the results of their labour. Often criticized as unfair because some people obtain more while others receive less, free enterprise is the only system that is truly fair. Under this system, masters are called upon to – as our text declares – give their servants that which is just and equal. The words ‘just and equal’ mean that the servant will receive a fair return on his efforts. This means that a servant will have an incentive to work hard and provide good service, knowing he will be fairly rewarded. But it takes a good master to make that system work.
If you are anything like me, you don’t have many servants waiting on you these days. But the same principle applies to anyone who does anything for us. That includes tradespeople that we hire, store clerks who serve us when we shop, family members who perform chores that benefit us, Christians who tend to the practical things related to the running of the Hall, teachers who instruct our children, and the list could go on and on. These people deserve to be treated fairly and compensated adequately. Our text gives us a good reason for doing so. Just as we have people who serve us, so our Lord has those who serve Him – us! Do we expect to be fairly compensated for what we do for Him? Remember that God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward His Name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister (Hebrews 6:10). Then let us follow His example, and be fair and just in our treatment of others. – Jim MacIntosh