By Melanie Rigney

 

Who is the Servant? - WINE Reflection

 

 

“Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for everyone?” ~ Luke 12:41

 

 

Maybe it’s happened to you. There you are at Mass, having shared in the introductory rites, pondered the readings and the psalm, and pow! Then comes the Gospel, and it’s one of Jesus’s hard teachings. Give up everything you have. Turn the other cheek. Love your enemies. Forgive an infinite number of times. And you think surely that applies to someone else, not you. Surely, Jesus can’t expect you to forgive your adulterous ex-spouse, to love the boss who fired you for no tangible reason, to cut back on your lifestyle. Not yet. Not now.

Ready at All Times

Maybe that’s why Peter is puzzled. Jesus has just told the disciples the parable of the watchful servants, closing with the admonition to have one’s house ready at all times. Peter is not clear, and so he does what Peter does. He asks, ‘is this teaching just for the disciples or for everyone?’

Jesus turns the question back on Peter: Who is the servant? Then Jesus describes the importance of the servant’s vigilance in carrying out the Master’s orders, including the way in which other servants are treated. For those who have much, much will be demanded, he says.

We Are the Servant

That’s the thing about Jesus and his teachings: easy or hard. They’re for all of us, each and every one. They are for us to digest and follow today—not when we find a new love, not when we find a new job, not after we’ve taken that great vacation or finished that home remodel. Today. Because each of us is the servant in the parable and needs to be ready for the Master’s return now.

 

Prayer:

Lord, open my ears to your words, especially the ones that make me uncomfortable. Help me to be ready at all times for you and the Almighty.

 

Call to Action:

Stop procrastinating about something you know is keeping you from readiness. Resolve a dispute, make time to listen to a family member, or finish a project you’ve been putting off even though you know the Lord desires its completion.

 

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