A synopsis of the sermon delivered by the Rev. David L. Hicks at St. Paul’s Reformed Episcopal Church on Sunday, August 24, 2003, Trinity IX. Please read Ephesians 5:21-33.

This week’s lesson from Ephesians continues Saint Paul’s thoughts regarding the wise manner in which a Christian is to live his or her life – “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:15). Being wise and making the most of the time are accomplished by doing things God’s way and not our own. This is not an easy venture, because God’s way is often contrary to what comes easy for us. It is much easier to hold the values and standards of the society around us than it is to follow God’s path of humility. The Christian life involves submission to Jesus Christ, first of all, but also submission to one another as members of the body of Christ. “Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Eph. 5:21).

Once we understand the overarching necessity for Christians to be subject to the gifts and authority that God has given to the members of the church, we are in a good position to understand how the Christian family is structured. Submission is to be found there as well. For the wife, submission to her husband is an image of the submission of the church to Christ, and the husband is to mirror the servant headship that characterizes Jesus Christ’s relation to the church. In submitting to Christ, husband and wife exhibit the humility of Christ in their dealings with one another, and in so doing they are a living image of the “mystery between Christ and his church” (Eph. 5:32).

Talk of submission and humble service is not something that will win friends in today’s culture. In reaction to past abuses of authority by men in positions of power, society has rejected any and all notions of submission as being demeaning to humanity. Consequently, the traditional understanding of the Christian faith that is characterized by submission and humility is dismissed as antiquated or something to be pushed out of the public arena.

It is not an easy path that leads to the wisdom of God, but is the true path that leads to eternal life through Jesus Christ, who is the true Wisdom of God. May God grant us the grace, faith, and perseverance to live wisely in the time he has given to us.
Amen.