There are many references in the gospels of people referring to Jesus as “Master”. What I heard when this language came up was Jesus was the good Master and we were the undeserving slaves. The roles did not sit right with me.
However, we are not slaves of Jesus. We have free will to choose to be in a relationship with Him. Being a slave destroys the beneficent aspect of being chosen by grace. As if Jesus is the slave owner choosing someone to be a slave, rather than being granted the option for a closer relationship with God.
When I started studying Chinese martial arts, I was told that the title “Sifu” meant “father / teacher” in Chinese (Shifu in Mandarin). There was an information transfer as the teacher part, but also a love as the father part. By extension, the fellow class members were kung fu brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts to form a family. The kung fu family members become disciples of their master in order to learn the art that he teaches. He is accorded the rank of master because he has mastered the art and can then pass it on.
If we visualize how Jesus was treated by his disciples, they behaved more like he was their father/teacher than as their slave owner. So if we treat Jesus as that kind of Master, then the title makes more sense.
When Mary at the tomb and Peter at the shore (to cite only two examples) call him Master, it is not that they are slaves, they are using his title and acknowledging his rank as a Master. He is also their Master in that they choose to follow his teachings in the hopes of gaining the knowledge that he possesses.
So, Sifu Jesus.
Random Thoughts 