Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, “Come at once and recline at table”? Will he not rather say to him, “Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink”? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, “We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.” [Luke 17:7-10 (ESV)]
When she lived in Florida, my mother-in-law hired a woman to do the cleaning. In spite of representing herself as a “cleaning service,” this woman had a long list of “won’ts”—won’t do windows, mirrors, get on step ladders, move furniture, or bend over to wipe the baseboards, etc. Nevertheless, she always had a long list of complaints and financial needs that she was more than willing to share.
I wonder if that’s how we are in our relationship with God. Instead of being a willing servant who snaps to attention when his master calls and does what is asked, we have a list of “won’ts”—won’t obey, give, forgive, love, go where Gods sends us, or inconvenience ourselves. Nevertheless, in spite of our unwillingness to do for Him, we always have a long list of things we want from Him or complaints about the blessings we’ve already received.
Thinking we have a master probably makes us uncomfortable; we don’t want to think we’re subservient to anything or anyone. Instead of a master/servant relationship with our Lord, we’d prefer having a giver/receiver relationship with Him. Rather than serving Him, we’d prefer Him serving us and, as our generous benefactor, He continually would bestow gifts and blessings on us. When we think of God as our father, we’d prefer an indulgent father who’s long on generosity and short on discipline rather than one who expects obedience from His children. We’re happy to think of God as a protector shielding us from harm, a heavenly bail bondsman bailing us out of problems, or a pleasant and undemanding friend, but not so thrilled about having a master. While we’d prefer God being a trusted advisor whose advice we would follow if we liked it, He’s more of a dictator (albeit a benevolent one) whose word is law and whose plan is to be followed (like it or not)!
Make no mistake about it—God is more than a provider, parent, defender, rescuer, comrade, or counselor. God is our master and we are His servants. Rather than serving God with a list of “won’ts,” let us approach our master with the willing, eager, and obedient heart of a servant. Unlike that house cleaner, rather than serving for a reward of some kind (and complaining all the while), good servants whole-heartedly and joyfully serve God because they know, love, and trust Him. The central theme of Scripture is servanthood; may we always serve as did Jesus—the greatest servant of all.
Although it sounds like something Satan might say to his demons, it was Alex Dumas, CEO of Hermès, who said “Our business is about creating desire.” It’s not just Hermès (with their $8,500 Della Cavalleria “magical bag”) that is in the business of creating desire; that seems to be the goal of many businesses. The LA Times has a “Coveted” column in their Image magazine featuring a curated list of luxury items (like $950 Gucci sneakers) they claim to be “mandatory” or “must-haves.” The October Vogue featured “coveted street style trends,” (like $1,364 velvet trousers and $600 Levi jeans) while urging its readers to purchase them “before it’s too late.” There’s even an on-line game called “Covet Fashion” in which you build your virtual dream wardrobe and then follow links to purchase the desired items.
While researching 1st century dining habits, I learned how guests traditionally were seated. Although da Vinci’s famous mural places Jesus in the middle of the group at a long rectangular table, the position of Jesus (as the host) would have been second from the left on the left side of a U-shaped table. Customarily, a trusted friend was seated to the host’s immediate right and the guest of honor to the host’s immediate left. The rest of the diners were seated to the left starting with the highest-ranking person and proceeding on down to the least important. If a servant were present during the meal, the last seat was his since it was closest to the door. With no servant, it was given to the youngest or lowest ranking guest.
When picturing the Last Supper, we probably visualize it much like Leonardo da Vinci’s famous mural with the men seated on chairs at one long table. While visually appealing, the picture is inaccurate. Instead of sitting on chairs with their feet concealed under the dinner table, Jews and Romans in Jesus’ day lounged on low sofas or cushions surrounding a low three-sided table called a triclinium. The cushions or couches were placed on the outside of the three sides which left the inside open for serving and entertainment. Diners would recline on their left sides, lean into the bosom of the person on their left, support their heads with their left arms, eat and drink with their right hands, and stretch their legs out to the right.
While we’re busy decorating our homes, planning holiday menus, finding the perfect gift for everyone on our list, and stressed about supply chain issues and shipping delays affecting the receipt of those gifts, let’s not forget that we’re in the season of Advent. This is a time for us to prepare for the second coming of Christ and to ponder the gifts of hope, love, peace, and joy we received with His first coming.
In the early church, it was common for believers to gather together for prayer and, when Peter was imprisoned, they gathered to pray for his release at the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark. For a people who believed in prayer, it’s ironic that Peter thought the angel that freed him to be a mere vision until he found himself free on the city streets and that the church was astonished when he showed up at Mary’s house! Amazing things can happen when the church prays for its leaders. Prayers broke Peter’s chains, imagine what they can do for our pastors!
Devotions of the Heart 