The King and His servants-The Parable explained

Last week’s parable, “The King and his Servants” is a straightforward little tale.  But it is my tale.  I struggle to allow myself to be interrupted by the Lord.  

Sometimes I am the little maid who is absorbed in my ordinary work and misses the call to meet the immediate need in front of me.  

On those days I need to remember the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).  Like the Levite and the priest, no deliberate cruelty on my part is needed. Being absorbed in my to-do list is enough to hide the need of my neighbor from me.

The King and His Servants: a Parable

Once there was a great king.  He was powerful. The kingdom’s greatest nobles bowed their face to the ground in his presence.  The greatest rulers of his empire gratefully threw their crowns down in front of him.

The King was kind.  He gave generously of his wisdom and advice to all who asked, even the lowest servant.  He forgave even his most entrenched enemies when they begged mercy offering them places of honor in His kingdom. 

The King was a gentle master.  Many, who before had suffered under the cruel hand of another, found life in his service to be a true pleasure.  They would say to one another, “His yoke is easy and His burden is light!”

God the Pursuer

Can you imagine what our world would be like if God sat back on His fatherly heels and said, “I’ll wait till they come to me?” What if he had never spoken to Abraham, never wrestled with Jacob, never declared his name to Moses?  What if he did not reveal himself to us? Never wrote his glory in the stars or gave His law to the assembled people he had claimed for himself (Psalm 19)?  Aren’t you glad that he is the God who pursues us?

In the extremity of love and need, He pursued us right down into our own neighborhoods. John 3:16  reminds us: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” God loved and God gave.   

Reaching Down

Let's say that I wanted to see the president.  No, I NEED to see him.  Not just from a distance, I need to sit down and have a private conversation. What can I do? Dial up the White House and say, "Sir?  Could I come over to the Oval Office next week and have a heart to heart with you?"

No.  If I tried for a month, I probably couldn't get past the phone operator at the White House. 

God's Call 2

Last week, we took a look at God's call on our lives.  We decided that God has definitely called us to use the talents and resources he has blessed us with in His service.  It sounds so nice and easy, doesn't it?  God gave us skills and resources that we enjoy, so we can enjoy using them to further His kingdom.  While all of that is true, I don't want to leave you with the impression that we are always going to feel well equipped in ourselves to do His work.  I also don't want you to think that service to God is always fun.  Rewarding (in the eternal sense), yes.  A piece of cake here on earth?  Not so much.  

God's Call 1

Sometimes when I've been wrangling with a particular spiritual topic, I can find help in the unlikeliest of places.  Facebook may be a tool we use here at Maidservants of Christ, but I never expected to find food for my own thoughts there.  Then I ran across this quote:

The place God calls you to is where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.

I had never heard of Frederick Buechner, the author and theologian who made this statement, but it struck a chord with me.