Being who you are
This week's holy tidbit is on Luke 12:42-46:
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy considers the number 42 the meaning of life. I'm no numerologist, but these verses do have something profound to say about how we're supposed to live our lives. :) Jesus is explaining the art of living a godly life to his disciples. As always, he bundles the lesson up into a story that is quick to tell, but unfolds slowly once it gets into our heads.
Jesus' story is a story about character. A good steward will do as he's told, regardless of whether the master is coming back that day or not. A bad steward will only focus on the moment the master sees him, and will do as he likes when he thinks he isn't being watched. We're called to live the way that God wants us to live, but the real question we have to ask ourselves is why we obey. Are we doing it because we want to be seen doing it, or are we doing it because it's right for us?
If you're being good so that you can be seen as good, you're going to get tired and slip up, because you're being fake. You can't live two lives at once without running out of energy. We're just not made to do that. The bad servant willingly accepted his master's position of responsibility, but once he realized his master wasn't around to see if he was actually doing it or not, there was no reason to continue the charade. It's easy to say that you'll do the right thing tomorrow, so that you can do your own thing today. The problem is that sometimes tomorrow doesn't come, or maybe it does and it has its own list of things that need to be done.
If you're really righteous, you do the right thing because it is right. It is part of your character. You don't think "What is the thing that won't get me sent to hell" or "Which is the answer that will make me seem holy and profound" or "What can I get away with?" You just naturally do it. The trustworthy servant is the one who understands the master's desires, who puts his needs higher than his own, who treats his master at least as well as he wants others to treat himself. He's not out for glory, or financial gain, or the ability to look down on the other servants who have different roles. He just naturally cares, and is invested in doing the right thing.
Sometimes we're that bad steward, though. Maybe we've decided we can get away with not forgiving that bad person today. We'll just wait until we're not as angry, when the price of forgiveness has gone way down, and just do it then. Maybe we're not quite ready to become that missionary to Zimbabwe quite yet, despite the fact that God has us by the scruff of the neck, because we just want to chill with our friends one more day, and pick up some more "wisdom." Maybe we figure we'll love everyone when we get older and have more time and money, and will happily spend today being stingy and exclusive because that's what makes sense. There are so many ways to be naughty. When that's your character, you do it effortlessly.
God has trusted us with his salvation, and the keys to his kingdom. We can either be only as good as we can pretend to be, and eventually slip up at the wrong time, or we can make an honest attempt and allow ourselves to be changed. Are you the man pretending to be the servant, or have you made a decision to actually be the servant?
The Lord answered, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy considers the number 42 the meaning of life. I'm no numerologist, but these verses do have something profound to say about how we're supposed to live our lives. :) Jesus is explaining the art of living a godly life to his disciples. As always, he bundles the lesson up into a story that is quick to tell, but unfolds slowly once it gets into our heads.
Jesus' story is a story about character. A good steward will do as he's told, regardless of whether the master is coming back that day or not. A bad steward will only focus on the moment the master sees him, and will do as he likes when he thinks he isn't being watched. We're called to live the way that God wants us to live, but the real question we have to ask ourselves is why we obey. Are we doing it because we want to be seen doing it, or are we doing it because it's right for us?
If you're being good so that you can be seen as good, you're going to get tired and slip up, because you're being fake. You can't live two lives at once without running out of energy. We're just not made to do that. The bad servant willingly accepted his master's position of responsibility, but once he realized his master wasn't around to see if he was actually doing it or not, there was no reason to continue the charade. It's easy to say that you'll do the right thing tomorrow, so that you can do your own thing today. The problem is that sometimes tomorrow doesn't come, or maybe it does and it has its own list of things that need to be done.
If you're really righteous, you do the right thing because it is right. It is part of your character. You don't think "What is the thing that won't get me sent to hell" or "Which is the answer that will make me seem holy and profound" or "What can I get away with?" You just naturally do it. The trustworthy servant is the one who understands the master's desires, who puts his needs higher than his own, who treats his master at least as well as he wants others to treat himself. He's not out for glory, or financial gain, or the ability to look down on the other servants who have different roles. He just naturally cares, and is invested in doing the right thing.
Sometimes we're that bad steward, though. Maybe we've decided we can get away with not forgiving that bad person today. We'll just wait until we're not as angry, when the price of forgiveness has gone way down, and just do it then. Maybe we're not quite ready to become that missionary to Zimbabwe quite yet, despite the fact that God has us by the scruff of the neck, because we just want to chill with our friends one more day, and pick up some more "wisdom." Maybe we figure we'll love everyone when we get older and have more time and money, and will happily spend today being stingy and exclusive because that's what makes sense. There are so many ways to be naughty. When that's your character, you do it effortlessly.
God has trusted us with his salvation, and the keys to his kingdom. We can either be only as good as we can pretend to be, and eventually slip up at the wrong time, or we can make an honest attempt and allow ourselves to be changed. Are you the man pretending to be the servant, or have you made a decision to actually be the servant?
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