Kingdom Building

October 6, 2019

Scripture Reading: Luke 17:5-10

‘Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from ploughing or tending sheep in the field, “Come here at once and take your place at the table”? Would you not rather say to him, “Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink”? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, “We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!”’ –Luke 17:7-10

Besides running our farm my dad pumped oil wells as a side job and was a custom hay bailer, all dirty jobs. Combine them and the grim gets worse. Hay bailing is summer work so add hot Oklahoma summers to that formula. Dad and my brother worked together most of the time, but it was not unusual for a neighbor or a neighbor’s son to work with them when the demands of the job required it. Our big meal of the day was dinner at noon. My mother, sister, and I spent most of the morning preparing that meal which required gardening, gathering eggs, feeding chickens, and milking cows. Part of the ritual when the men came in from the field was pumping buckets of water from the old hand pump that still worked in front of our house for the guys to clean up and cool down as much as possible before they came inside to eat. There was no order of privilege at the table as described in the scripture above.

Luke is describing reality in first century Judean and Galilee where slavery was still present even for the small farmer. This scripture is a continuation of a discussion on grace, God’s grace which cannot be earned. The scripture also continues the discourse on faith which is also described as a gift.

Christ’s call to us is not of this world where privilege exist, and worth is based on the standards of the culture in which one finds themselves. Christ’s call, the call to base all measures of value on love comes packed with the gifts of faith and grace to sustain us. We need nothing else. If we are called to bale hay, we do it the very best way we can. If we are called to gather eggs, we try never to drop any. If we are called to do justice and show mercy, we do them using the gifts of faith and grace freely provided for us. When we recognize that we are no better and no worse than anyone else, we can truly begin to love like Jesus.

Prayer: Thank you for the gifts of faith and grace, Lord. Help us to live lives worthy of your love. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.