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Jesus said to the Apostles: “Who among you would say to your
servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the
field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table?’ Would
he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Put on
your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and
drink when I am finished?’ Is he grateful to that servant because
he did what was commanded?” Luke 17:7–9
In most cultures today, the idea of having a servant whom you
command to wait on you is far from ideal. Jesus uses this image
because the people to whom He was speaking would have easily
related. He used it as a way of humbling them because when the
illustration is properly understood, He was identifying each one of
them as the servant, not the master. Only God is the
Master.
When it comes to our service of God, there is no limit to the
commands that God will give. At first, that might seem harsh, but
it’s not because the commands that God gives to us are dictates of
perfect love. We need His commands. We need the order He provides.
We need to enter into perfect obedience to Him. We need to listen
to everything He tells us and obey it to perfection. Seeing God as
our Master and ourselves as His servants will only appear harsh
when we fail to understand what sort of Master He is.
Recall the beautiful words of our Blessed Mother when she was given
the command from the Archangel Gabriel. The angel said to her, “You
will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him
Jesus.” This was not a question posed to her; it was a command of
love. Mary did not hesitate and did not refuse. She said, “Behold,
I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to
your word.”
At the conclusion of today’s Gospel, Jesus went on to say, “When
you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are
unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’”
In many ways, this is exactly what our Blessed Mother did. She was
a servant of God’s perfect commands, and she knew that her love for
God obliged her to follow His will.
When you think about your service of the will of God, do you see it
as you doing God a favor? Do you see obedience to God’s dictates as
an act of generosity on your part and your cooperation with those
dictates as above and beyond your natural duties? Hopefully not.
Hopefully you understand that you, like our Blessed Mother, are a
servant of the one true Master of all. Hopefully you also see the
commands of God as the roadmap toward a life of complete
fulfillment. When we understand Who the Master is, we will never
hesitate in being a servant, or even a slave. We will not hesitate
in freely surrendering ourselves over to His will in complete and
unwavering obedience. God alone knows what is best for us, and we
need to give Him complete control over our lives.
Reflect, today, upon the image of a master and a slave. As you do,
try to shed every preconceived image you have that includes
harshness, cruelty, dominance and control. Instead, try to see the
image of a divine Master Whose only concern is for the servant. Try
to see a Master Who perfectly loves the servant. Reflect upon your
own need for such a Master in your life. Pray that you will be able
to surrender complete control over to God in all things so that He
can direct your life into the glorious things He has in store for
you.
My Lord and Master, You have commanded me and all Your servants
to obey Your commands of perfect love. Your will alone is what is
best for our lives and Your dictates bring fulfillment and purpose
to our lives. May I, with Your Blessed Mother, always obey You in
everything, for I am a servant of You, dear Lord. May I joyfully do
what I am obliged to do. Jesus, I trust in You.
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