The submission of Uncle Tom

Pastor Allen read part of the passage below to us in his sermon illustrating the attitude of a Christian slave. I have included a slighter larger context here for us for reread for private contemplation or consideration:

Legree drew in a long breath; and, suppressing his rage, took Tom by the arm, and, approaching his face almost to his, said, in a terrible voice, "Hark 'e, Tom! -- ye think, 'cause I've let you off before, I don't mean what I say; but, this time, I've made up my mind, and counted the cost. You've always stood it out again' me: now, I'll conquer ye, or kill ye! -- one or t' other. I'll count every drop of blood there is in you, and take 'em, one by one, till ye give up!"

Tom looked up to his master, and answered, "Mas'r, if you was sick, or in trouble, or dying, and I could save ye, I'd give ye my heart's blood; and, if taking every drop of blood in this poor old body would save your precious soul, I'd give 'em freely, as the Lord gave his for me. O, Mas'r! don't bring this great sin on your soul! It will hurt you more than 't will me! Do the worst you can, my troubles'll be over soon; but, if ye don't repent, yours won't never end!"

Like a strange snatch of heavenly music, heard in the lull of a tempest, this burst of feeling made a moment's blank pause. Legree stood aghast, and looked at Tom; and there was such a silence, that the tick of the old clock could be heard, measuring, with silent touch, the last moments of mercy and probation to that hardened heart.

It was but a moment. There was one hesitating pause, -- one irresolute, relenting thrill, -- and the spirit of evil came back, with seven-fold vehemence; and Legree, foaming with rage, smote his victim to the ground.

While many will say that applying sentiments such as those expressed above by Tom in today's context of employer and employee would seem oddly inappropriate (since the employer seldom has life-or-death power over the employee), there is nevertheless, an applicable principle. In Tom's words "...dont bring this great sin on your soul," I am reminded of a Christian teacher who once said that, in our submission as Christian employees, we should have more concern for the good name and reputation of our emplyers (thereby exercising ourselves in preserving and protecting it)than we have for our own. While this may seem hard to do, it was incomparably harder for Tom to lay down his life in order to try to save his master.