FROM THE PASTOR’S HEART
OP / ED BY DR. ROBERT KENNEDY
The title of this article is quite a challenging yet encouraging one. We are being asked to “submit” ourselves to one another. (cf. Ephesians 5:21, 1 Peter 5:5). If one does not understand its import, one might be put off by the suggestion.
One might think that one is being asked to become a “door mat” to be walked upon or yielded to authorities or forces, regardless of the absurdity of the demands placed on us. I have seen some unequal spousal relationships in which one spouse (generally the male) demands that the other spouse submit to them. I have seen parents who are so dogmatic about their children’s submission that I have wondered whether such parents know that there is a text in the Bible that also says, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4 NIV)
I have seen specific religious authorities, pastors, priests, bishops, archbishops, and others who require absolute submission. I have also seen some charismatic figures in public spaces demanding the allegiance of their subjects to act against what accords with the will of God.
Yes, I have seen a lot that indicates many people do not understand submission. And I have said anyone who understands submission from a divine perspective will know that when one yields to the will of another, such yielding must correspond to what constitutes God-given authority. Based on this understanding of submission, Peter and John resisted the Jewish leaders when they were mysteriously released from prison and returned to the temple preaching about Jesus.
When the council leaders heard they were back preaching and sent for them, the text says of the incident: “Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, saying, ‘Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!’ But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.” (cf. Acts 5:26-29)
In the Protestant Reformation, the protesters adopted the same principle of resistance to false church authority. At the council of the Diet of Spiers that was called in Germany to bring judgment against the reformers, it is said that “The majority were amazed and alarmed by the boldness of the protesters. Dissension, war, and bloodshed seemed inevitable. But the Reformers, relying on God’s omnipotent arm, were “full of courage and firmness.”
The Protestants understood that the power of conscience was above any ruler and the authority of God’s word above the visible church. The principle of operation agreed with the prophets and apostles, “We must obey God rather than man.” In the presence of the crown of Charles the Fifth, it uplifts the crown of Jesus Christ. (Read concerning the Protest of the Princes in Germany during the Protestant Reformation to get the fuller story.)
The point is that submission is not yielding to demonic authority but to that which is born of God. Here are the principles that identify underlay such submission.
- Love – The love demanded is not rude or sentimental. It is the love of God.
- Humility – The spirit of pride that forces authority is not of God and cannot ask for submission.
- Honor – Offers the opportunity to show respect and differ to another.
- Graciousness – Here is the level of kindness, politeness, and generosity that is shown, especially toward those of a lower social position.
- Mutuality – This reflects the shared feelings that modify how one person relates to another.
As is said, the touchstone for the Christian understanding of submission is Jesus’s astonishing statement, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. (Mark 8:34)
The call of Jesus to “self-denial” is simply a way of understanding that we do not have to have our way. It has nothing to do with self-contempt or self-hatred. It does not mean the loss of our identity or our individuality. It means, quite simply, the freedom to give way to others. It means to hold the interests of others above our own. It means freedom from self-pity and self-absorption.
The bottom line is that if we clearly understand submission, we will not have so many conflicts in our homes, churches, and public spheres. The tragedy is that too many people want to have others yield to their demands without any reference to the principles of submission born of the divine.
