The Evil Servant (Part 2)

Jesus goes on to say " . . . for everyone whom much is given, from him much will be required . . . " (Luke 12:48)

I just typed Jesus' words on my Mac ~
     . . . to whom much is given . . .
And you just read them likely on an iPhone, iPad, desktop, laptop, or Notebook ~
     . . . much will be required . . .
I just wrote . . . somewhere, someone in my past used the necessary skills and resources to teach me to write ~
     . . . to whom much is given . . .
And you read . . . somewhere, someone in your past used the necessary skills and resources to teach you to read ~
     . . . much will be required . . .
As I write, these words do not swim in a foggy haze as I fight dehydration and malnutrition ~
     . . . to whom much is given . . .
And you read words without your body wasting away due to basic needs unmet ~
     . . . much will be required . . .
I wrote the words of the revolutionary force named Jesus and I do not fear my freedom or my life will be robbed from me for preaching His words (not yet, at least) ~
     . . . to whom much is given . . .
And you read without fear of retaliation from hostile regimes raping you of life and liberty (not yet, at least) ~
     . . . much will be required . . .

I wrote the God Man's words, this Man Jesus, this Savior God spoke these words and I know of Him and live the great privilege of knowing Him.  I know His Name, I read His words, everyday.  I know the name ~ Jesus.  And I say it, pray it, call it, name it, sing it, cry and laugh it a thousand times over, daily.  I know the name of Jesus.     . . . to whom much is given . . .

And now, so do you.      . . . much will be required . . .

In this land, this western world ~ the Giving has been beyond reason.

We have not just been given salvation but we have been given the mean to share this salvation ~ the means to share in ways this spinning globe has surely never seen before.
And yet we so often do not.  Instead of sharing with spinning globe, we just go to spin.

We have not just been given salvation but we have been given copious amounts of freedom!  Freedom to live openly and loudly like the Jesus freak He calls us to be!  We have freedom to garner passport and gallop the globe telling and retelling of His glorious name!
And yet so often we do not.  We gobble freedom and globe trot simply for sport, for leisure, our leisure.

You have much.  I have much.  And much will be required.  Please do not allow your mind to churn with a thousand excuses, "Yes, but if you understood my Mother . . . " or "Yes, but my finances . . . " truthfully, in America, this excuse should make us ill, or, "My husband, or my boss, or my children . . . " or, "If you just understood my childhood . . . ".

Please, let's not.

You have been given much.  I have been given much.  We were given salvation and even if that was all, it would be exceedingly far more then enough.  However, He continued to give to us and He gave the means, the resources, the skill, the freedom, the time and He gave us His Spirit.  Done.

One final note on this parable Jesus spoke ~ a few things are very apparent; He will return, some servants will be found faithful and some servants will be found partying (aka caring, promoting and living for self).  We also know that we DO NOT know the time of His return and Jesus asks us to be ready, to be steadfast and sober-minded.  Ready.

Question ~ when He unexpectedly returns, how do you want Him to find you?

Drinking that?  Eating that?  in that quantity?  Wearing that?  Watching that?  (Editorial note - TV is a nasty drug of choice that the church would bode well with to trash.)  Listening to that?  Saying that?  Doing that?  Spending money on that?  Or there?  Being there?  Or not being there?  Thinking that?  Reading that?  Reading this?

Oh, you are so puritanical!  Pharisaical!  No, I am not.  Trust me.  I am not.  I am Cali girl, born and bred, I grew up barefoot, driving an old beat-up jeep, surrounded by friends who were high, ALL the TIME!  I currently sit and write in cut-off, ripped up jean shorts with the standard issue flip flops to finish off the motif!  And oh yes, I am sitting in my closet, yes, literally in my closet.  I am not puritanical.  I am just reading the words of Jesus tell me that some of those chilling in His house ~ He will name evil.  And that is terrifying to me.  I am not a pharisee but I am deeply tired of the church allowing death to seep through its doors and windows as it welcomes the world's system to dictate who we are.

Western church, we live on the brink of extinction in many ways and as we read through the earlier questions and answer in truth, we may find the answers as to why.

The Evil Servant

Luke 12:45-47 ~  "But if that servant says in his heart, 'My Master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the Master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.  And the servant who knew his Master's will and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes."

NKJV carries this label of this servant - evil.  Another may be found faithful, but certainly some will be named evil.  And yet, both are called servant.  A servant resides in the home of his Master.  This faithful and evil one both named servant, both reside in the house of their Master.

This telling of this tale that Master Savior told is the telling of the truth.  A truth that is wholly as startling as it is terrifying.

A servant dwells in the Master's home and yet he is named evil.  I do believe there are those who maintain a residence in the Master's house and will be called evil on that day of His arrival.

The parable is clear ~ this servant knew of whom he served and yet was not ready.  This evil servant said in his heart, "My Master doth tarry, I will certainly make merry."  And he ate.  And he drank.  And he abused and used those about him.

Sound familiar?  We have certainly just read an accurate depiction of the western church.

We are named as servant.  We claim the name, we wear the label.  We are Christians and we have countless titles on our shelves to show our devotion to Christ (or love of online shopping).  We have many crosses on chains to demonstrate the burden we bear (or our affinity for jewelry).  The fish is on the bumper and we check Republican and then call that devotion.  We know the correct verbiage and we claim our Christian heritage and yet, we look startling similar to the world that surrounds.

And servant resides in the Master's house.  Certainly, we attend services and conferences, and we even lead the Wednesday night Bible study.  We love our Christian concerts and can't live without the potlucks!

We reside in the Master's dwelling; yet, a surrendered heart, we are surely unwilling.

We reap the rewards,
     the dollars and donuts we hoard,
but truly serve Him as Lord?
     He our Anchor, our lives to Him moored?
we say, that price - we can not afford!

And yet, Scripture tells that of the servant who tarries in the temple yet never surrenders soul ~
. . .  and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers . . .

Jesus was not even slightly subtle ~ He will cut you in half and cast you out.

This wicked servant knew the Master, in fact, He knew much of the Master and yet his eternity was sealed with the heathen, with the lost soul.

It is imperative we see the similarity of this wicked servant and the western church.  We too, abide in the Master's house, we enjoy His splendor, eat of His abundance, drink of His wine and abuse those He put in our charge.  We know the drill, we know when to stand and when to kneel, the appropriate  time to slip hand to heaven and when to smile the smile.  We rest hand on brother so and so's shoulder and offer the gentle word of encouragement.  We know which service serves the best coffee and which band sets the best mood for our "worship experience" (whatever that means!)  And yet, in our hearts we strive after self ~ more money, more things, more power, more notoriety, more luxury, more comfort, more clothes, more me, more food, more me, more drink, more me, more leveling of another to elevate self.  More me, me, me.

Western church be wary ~ the evil servant residing in the Master's house serves as terrible reminder of the surrendered soul He requires and is surely our reasonable service.

Be mindful ~ if you enjoy a "worship experience" for an hour or so on Sunday and then name yourself servant; you have completely misunderstood ~ worship is not an "experience" it is a way of life.  And the truly surrendered servant does not make merry with food and drink, or with the leveling of another.  The true servant has no desire to make much of self but to make exceedingly much about the Master.  His life is worship, constantly surrendered to service.

He does not tarry in his Master's dwelling to plunder,
     but sets about acts of loving labor,
not merely to secure His favor,
     nor for His blessings to procure,
selfish reasons, he does not do it for,
    but simply because his Master he doth adore.

A Row To Hoe

A farmer hoes a row of dirt and a neighboring laborer hoes his row and they toil under the sun and the sweat of their brow mixes soiled soil into muddy mess.  They labor, a labor of love as they work their row.

These loving laborers selected their plots not.  The farmers till soil simply out of trust, the loving laborers were just trusting tillers.  For the Master Farmer had determined their row long ago.

And the loving laborers labored on in love and tilled for they trusted.

As the sun was set to set upon their rows and they had laid their final labor into the loved land both farmers wiped the final drop of sweat off their brow and the hoe was laid to final rest.

And after the long day of life the farmers stepped back to examine their land, their soil that had breathed life through their toil.

One farmer espied his loved land with lines hoed to perfection and toiled soil beautiful, budding with immaculate growth.  For this farmer had hoed a row of farming perfection.

The other farmer, the poor old soul, dropped to his knees aghast, despair flooded his body and confusion clouded his mind.  For the land which had absorbed his labors of love was fitfully afright!  No lines of perfection such as his neighborly neighbor!  No toiled soil beautiful just a muddy mess with only the slightest hint of life.

Oh, what a sad sight our second laborer was and surely he would have sunk under, sunk into utter ruin if not for the Master Farmer.  For Master Farmer saw beyond appearance of perfect lines and tidy rows and Master Farmer joyously congratulated BOTH farmers.

"Well done good and faithful farmers," He gently declared.  "Well done."

Our sad and sunken so low secondary farmer hesitantly asked Master Farmer, "Begging Your pardon kind Sir,  but my rows are afright and my soil is but alas ~ just a muddy mess!  I have surely labored in love and yet, I have not hoed You a tidy row but just a chaotic mess.  A slight sign of life is all I have amassed.  Well done?  I do not see how You say that of me?"

Master Farmer with love and laughter dancing through His kind eyes simply said, "Rocks.  Many rocks."

~

Preacher man said on Sunday ~ some have been assigned to hoe the rows filled with many rocks.

But, not to worry, He knows the soil He gave us to toil.  He knows.  And under the burning sun He sees the laborers of love who toil amongst the rocks.  Lines are rarely tidy and hands are always dirty and face is layered in soil as farmers lament over the rocks that lay in their path.

But, Master Farmer sees.

The XO leaned over at preacher man's words with a telling smile, "See, He sees the rocks He placed in our soil."  With a quick wink and then eyes back to center straight, the XO knows all to well the rocks that lay in our row to be hoed.

Many a moment I feel lost amongst the rocks in my row.  The labor of love feels in vain, and the laboring is so lonely.  For other farmers have not yet seen rocks such as mine.

But, yesterday preacher man and the XO reminded me of Master Farmer that laid the plot of my land once upon a time ago at the foundation of time.  Master Farmer, He knows my rocks, He knows the row I hoe.  And that is enough.

It is enough.