5The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 7“Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’? 8Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’? 9Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? 10So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’”
We all want praise. We all want to have recognition. We would really like for others to look at what we do and tell us how amazing we are because of it. And this makes sense. It's why God has given us each other, to encourage us in the Way that is Jesus Christ.But sometimes I feel like we have a tendency to pat ourselves on the back for doing things that we should be doing anyway. I mean we've probably all heard of people who have left a social group because they didn't get the recognition that they felt that they deserved. We may have done this ourselves.
The Luke passage explodes the myth of that in our relationship with God we deserve some kind of reward for following Jesus. Luke does this in a way that we might find repugnant, dealing as it does with slavery. After all, the parallel that Jesus draws here is that we are the slaves, something that many of us do not like to think about- we wish to be free. Free people are people who do deserve recognition, recompense and thanks. But Christ's contention is that in our relationship with God, we are utterly dependent upon God's grace. There is nothing that we can lay claim to with pride and say "Look! I did this without the help of God!"
But I believe this is the deeper point here. Having God be so present in our lives that we cannot justly make the above claim is the gift. In becoming God's servant people we also enter the family of God, being able to call upon God as God's children It is a gift not based on what we do, but on who we are: beloved children of God. This is why Jesus takes such offense at the idea that anyone deserves a bonus prize on top of that. Anything else on top of that would only cheapen what God has already given to us.
This is why we celebrate World Communion Sunday. The feast that God has prepared is not bound by race, language, nationality, gender, or any other false pretense that we might set up to separate "us" from "them". It reminds us of the gift that we have been given in this sacrament, the sealing of God's love in our hearts. Christ came to us. Christ came for us. Not the narrow "us", but an "us" that is as broad and boundless as God's mercy and love. It is in this that we rest our hope. It is in this that we have peace. This is the good news.
4 comments:
World Communion Sundays always make me think of two things.
The first is the creeds, the prayers, and the sacraments that we hold in common in the Church Universal. This provides a remarkable connection not only across the cultures of the world, but throughout the pages of history. I speak the words that have always been spoken, I observe the rites that have always been treasured.
The other is a World Communion Sunday when I was far from anyone I knew and far from my home. I saw in th paper that the next day was World Communion and I decided to go to church, like I knew my family and friends were doing so many miles away. I left worship that day feeling connected to not only the catholic church, but also to my own family.
Being God's Child is enough.
His leading us is enough.
Saying this makes you realize all the energy and effort spent on other unimportant things.
Help us Lord, Show us the way. You are enough.
I've always felt that you shouldn't be rewarded for doing the right thing. Everytime I watch T.V. and see a reward posted for turning in a criminal or even a reward for turning in something you found that isn't yours or a lost pet, I think, who are the people that need something for doing the right thing? Shouldn't you return someone's property or pet if you find them? Shouldn't you turn in a criminal if you know someone broke the law?
I don't believe this is part of the assignment but, your sermon rang true in parts of my life.
On my last couple of evaluations at work, I have had comments about my inability to "recognize" people for jobs well done. The big stuff I do recognize, it's the little things I have a problem with.
Question: At what point does self-satisfaction play a part?
You personally knowing what you did was good/right. My problem is this. My father taught us to never do anything expecting a thank-you. If you do anything and in the back of your mind you're looking for a thank-you, you're doing it for the wrong reason. You do it because it's the right thing, because it makes "you" feel good.
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