Some words scare us - taxes, dentist, pubic speaking - to name just a few. The word submit is another word that scares people. It sounds like what you do when you’re pinned in wrestling - you surrender and that makes us feel like we’ve lost something and humans don’t like to give up anything. Submission feels uncomfortable in part because we have seen abuses of authority, including leadership in churches. Yet throughout Scripture God intends authority to be for our good just as He used His authority to create and bless us. In the same way, He means for His authorized human stewards to use their authority to humbly to bring life, goodness and growth in others. Jesus submitted to meet humanities most significant need - rescue from sin and separation from wholeness in relationship with our creator.
A better word for submit - is to honour. Jesus honoured us by putting our need before His.
In reality - people are not afraid to submit. They just want to submit to beauty, like the hero who submits themselves to rescuing someone. What’s unexpected about Christianity is that its hero doesn’t risk all for a what is beautiful but for what looks ugly. Then Jesus calls everyone that He rescues to submit themselves to this bride still being made beautiful - the church.
So what does it mean for a Christian to submit or to honour a local church - this unfinished bride? Paul paints a beautiful picture of the unity of the church. It’s a picture of the mutual submission of the Gospel - Jesus becoming flesh to save us and the church embracing that love and sharing it with others the way Jesus did - clothed in humility.
