role reversal

"The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve." I am drawn to this verse of Scripture. I remember that Dr. Yieh said it was the crux of one of the Gospels, but I can't remember which one. I know that for at least one early faith community the servant nature of Christ was of utmost importance.

I don't think it was the Lukan community (I think it was Mark), but still, the mindbogglingly radical nature of Christ's service is clear in the Gospel for Clare's feast. With a simple beatitude, Jesus turns the idea of master and slave upside-down. In so doing, being true to the allegory of Jewish stories of master and slave, he turns the idea of God and human upside-down as well. "Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them."

It seems beyond comprehension to think of a master who, upon finding his slaves doing nothing more than what they were supposed to be doing, would have them sit down and proceed to serve them. It makes no sense. As the Psalmist wrote (49)

6

We can never ransom ourselves, *
or deliver to God the price of our life;

7

For the ransom of our life is so great, *
that we should never have enough to pay it,

8

In order to live for ever and ever, *
and never see the grave.

Just as the master serving his slaves is seemingly without cause, so too is God's ransom of us. We, of our own, cannot accomplish it. When a job is 24/7 and you call in sick, that day can never be made up (thanks Bishop Dyer). But God wants to fix it. God wants to reward us for doing what we are supposed to be doing. God wants to turn the relationship upside-down and offer us not only his service, but his kingdom. What a role reversal that is. I only hope I can wrap my mind around it, and accept this amazing gift from God.