| October 7, 2001 Habakkuk 1:2-3;2:2-4 + 2 Timothy 1:6-8;13-14 + Luke 17:5-10 |
| An interesting and very revealing thing can happen with this parable if you want to pay attention to yourself. Think for a moment about which of the two people you identify with, and then as you reflect on the parable, you begin to see it from one side or the other; the master or the servant/slave. There is not much in our culture and society that would encourage us to hear this parable from the side of the slave/servant. I think almost invariably, we tend at first hearing to work from the view point of the master Now granted, the grammar and structure of the story as we receive it is tilted somewhat toward the master’s side; but anyone who is a real servant/slave at heart would continue to hear it from the other side. That is important to think about, because the real issue here is not how the boss treats the servant but how the servant understands his role. If we hear this parable in it’s place on the journey to Jerusalem with all its commentary on the virtues of a disciple, then it’s the servant in the story who has the most to tell us, and from whom we should be drawing the lesson. |
| The story, in a somewhat “back-door” way, reminds each ofus of our servant hood, and how tempting it is to opt for a role reversal. The story speaks to us of Duty, and it proposes that a disciple of Jesus is dutiful. |
| From the time of our mythic ancestors called: Adam and Eve, creatures and servants have attempted the role reversal so evident in this parable. Faith gives us the insight to see who we are: servants in the manner of Jesus who did not cling to anything godly, but emptied himself and assumed entirely the role of the servant/slave. When the disciple views what God has done for us in Jesus Christ, then the responsible disciple gives back what is due – which is what “duty” is all about: giving what is due. It isn’t something extra, nor is it something for which congratulations should be in order It is simply a matter of recognizing what is due. Discipling in this sense is done then not because God deserves it, but because the disciple recognizes that God is God and we are servants. That’s the way it is from the very beginning. |
| Fidelity to the duties of discipleship provides no grounds for triumphalism nor feelings of moral superiority, nor does should it anticipate special honor or appreciation. A servant serves the master That is what a servant does. It is the servant’s duty, because the master is “due” service. This kind of thinking and self awareness is part of the very fabric of the disciples identity It is rooted in the virtues we have already explored: Humility, Watchfulness, Awareness, Wisdom, and Prudence. They all provide the character that brings one to fulfill one’s duty |
| In the disciple of Jesus Christ, there is no room for the “look what I have done” attitude. In fact, there 1s no time for such vainglory, because there is always more to do. Created and sustained in every breath by God, we know that we owe everything to God. |
| The cry of the apostles: “Increase our faith.” which began this section reflects their awe at the enormity of what Jesus asks of them. His suggestion is that 1t is not a matter of quantity, but simply a matter of trusting the faith that God has given them, and fulfilling their duty as disciples. The issue arises in this case by a teaching of Jesus we did not hear proclaimed m the verses assigned for today, but they are there just before we began with an instruction to them about forgiveness. It is not the quantity or extent of a person’s faith that is at issue here. It is not a matter of more faith, but of a life consistent with that faith we already have. What matters for the disciple of Jesus Christ is the exploitation of the faith that we already have in the fulfillment of our duty as servants. That is what it will take to bring the fulfillment of God’s saving plan. servants who know and fulfill their duty |