Daily Butter 4/2: Child labor

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (4/2/12):

 

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!”

(Romans 8:15 HCSB)

 

This verse reminded me of a couple things. First being chores as a child (“Do I HAVE to?”) with the fear of the consequences of not doing what was expected. It was fear, yet I knew that the one enforcing those consequences did so out of love. This yields a fresh understanding of what “the fear of the Lord” means to one of His children: It is not motivation by a slave’s fear of his/her master’s retribution, but greater fear of breaking my Father’s heart by disappointing Him.

 

The second was a recent reminder from my Old Testament readings.  I’m no scholar of Greek, but the above verse is one reason I don’t like that the translators of the Holman Christian Standard Bible chose to translate Paul’s beginning to Romans “Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus,…” rather than the way New American Standard Bible translators chose: ”Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, …“. But I suppose slavery is a concept that we understand pretty well, while it must be explained that bond-servants are bound to their master by choice – willing slaves I suppose. It is not forced slavery of obligation to a demanding owner, but committed loving service by part of the family given out of gratitude to one who bought them with a price AND has given them freedom:

 

If your fellow Hebrew, a man or woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, you must set him free in the seventh year. … But if your slave says to you, ‘I don’t want to leave you,’ because he loves you and your family, and is well off with you, take an awl and pierce through his ear into the door, and he will become your slave for life. Also treat your female slave the same way.

(Deuteronomy 15:12,16-17 HCSB)

 

Father,

I am especially mindful in this season of the price that You gave for me. And to think that You paid that price so that I might have freedom is so far above my comprehesion. Therefore it is with eternal gratitude that I yield you my service. It would have been enough to have the joy of being Your servant after so great a gift, yet You have called me Your child. What amazing love! What amazing grace!

 

Only through Your grace,

- Andy Jentes