Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

Ephesians 6:1 – 9

Children, obey your parents in the Lord.  I find it interesting that Paul begins with counseling the children.  As I think of it, children represent a new generation and can easily turn against their parents.  Paul encourages them to be who they are, new members of the human family, but he reminds them that they can be legitimate young people without turning against their parents.  That takes wisdom beyond what children have.  But all should try.

Fathers, do not exasperate your children.  I do not hear this word much if at all.  I think it means being pushed unduly to the point of frustration.  Some of us parents are more demanding than God himself.  We should love at all times, being patient as God is patient with us.  Avoid making children feel like they cannot possibly please their fathers, or mothers, for that matter.

We now enter an unfamiliar culture – where there are slaves and masters.  In our time slavery is considered one of the most inhuman of all institutions.  Paul takes off the edge a bit by counseling Christian slaves to obey just as you would obey Christ.  Can more be said?

Then Paul shifts to the attitudes of Christian slave owners who are encouraged to treat their slaves as God treats them, and there is no favoritism with him.  In other words, in the eyes of God each believer is precious in the eyes of God, owner and slave alike, and should be treated like everyone else, without favoritism.

Paul has a word of grace for each of these four categories – children, parents, slave, master.  These relationships are very demanding, indeed.  The answer is not to empower some over others but to treat each one as a thankful child of God, forgiven and made new in Christ.  This is our new sociology!