Being grounded

Jesus reminds us in his parable this week that, “We are merely servants: we have done no more than our duty.” It may seem a little dismissive of us and our contribution but an important lesson in being grounded in reality. We are called to be at the service of one another. It is not about people serving us. The Apostles, as we know, struggled with wanting to have the places of honour and were jealous of each other at times. I can relate to their desire asking Jesus to ‘increase their faith’. Our motives are not always sincere.

Jesus is not telling us anything he himself was not prepared to do. Afterall, he said, I came to serve not to be served. We know where that ultimately led him.

Last week I was in Christchurch giving a retreat to mainly religious. I used the parable of Zacchaeus on one of the days and the comment was made by one of the retreatants that she loved that Jesus was grounded himself when he looked up at Zacchaeus and asked him to come down so that he could stay in his home. Jesus so often engaged with people at their level, he looked up, he crouched down, he sat at table with tax collectors and sinners, he washed the feet of his disciples.

And on the cross, grounded in the earth, he looked down on those who had condemned him forgiving them but also one would hope comforted and strengthened by those who looked up at him and loved him to the end. Mary, Mary of Magdala, the other women, John the beloved disciple. There is something about receiving the kindness and compassion of others, allowing them to serve us in humility when faced with our own suffering and trials which is certainly grounding.

May our service, our duty be one of giving and receiving as we continue to live out the precious gift of our faith in the world today.

You may like to listen to 'Dedication Song' from the album, 'Awesome God.'

Blessings on your week.