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The
highest courage is to dare to be yourself in the face of adversity,
choosing right over wrong, ethics over convenience, and truth over
popularity.
Travel the path of integrity without looking back, for THERE IS
NEVER A WRONG TIME TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
-
Bishop Soc Villegas
25 July 2007
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<< Go
to "Servant Leadership" Menu...
ON SERVANT
LEADERSHIP
(Part 27)
ATTITUDE OF A SERVANT
November
8, 2011
Today’s reading: Luke 17:7-10
When we serve, it is normal to want to be recognized, appreciated
and thanked, and possibly even rewarded. Jesus in today’s gospel
challenges that kind of thinking.
First, Jesus says our first priority is our Master, certainly
before our own needs, rest and comfort (Lk 17:7-8). Second, in
serving we should not expect to have to be thanked (Lk 17:9).
Third, we are to be mindful that we are just doing our duty and in
fact are unprofitable servants (Lk 17:10).
Now that seems harsh. But certainly we know that Jesus is not a
heartless taskmaster. He in fact is a loving brother and friend.
What then are we to make of his words?
First, Jesus just wants us to enter more deeply into discipleship.
He requires disciples to deny themselves and take up their
crosses. We are slaves of Jesus, who bought us at the price of his
blood. We have no rights. We belong totally to him. We are to
serve him without counting the cost.
Second, Jesus wants us to have no ulterior motives that can taint
our service. We are not there for power, position or perquisites.
We are not there for honor, acclaim or reward. We are there just
to please our Master, even if our Master had no words of pleasure
to express to us.
Third, Jesus wants to prepare and train us for the demanding work
that lie ahead for those who truly want to serve him in building
God’s kingdom. He is building endurance in us. We come in from
the field tired and hungry, but we may still have to wait for our
food and our rest. We are being trained to endure and to
persevere. We are being trained to embrace suffering and pain.
Fourth, after everything we have done, we are to still consider
ourselves as unprofitable servants. This is to teach us humility.
We are servants through whom God will show His glory, but that is
not to get to our heads. What we in fact need to realize is how we
often are the obstacles to the work. God could have done greater
things if only we were better instruments!
Finally, we are being reminded of our obligation to serve Christ.
We live not for ourselves but in order to build God’s kingdom on
earth. Every Christian has this responsibility. We are workers for
the harvest. We are essential parts of the one body that is the
Church. We are accorded the privilege of being instruments of
God’s salvation.
So Jesus’ words are for our instruction, so that we may know our
proper attitude as servants. But Jesus’ actions will not be
those of a heartless Master.
Jesus in fact is the Master who put on an apron and washed the
feet of his disciples.
Jesus is the one who lived out the ultimate service of love, to
give his very life as a ransom for the many.
Jesus is the one who invites us to the banquet table of the
Eucharist, to eat and drink of the very Bread of Life.
Jesus is the one who at the end of time will greet us, “Well
done, good and faithful servant, enter into your Master’s
joy.”
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