Living in the Spirit
October 2, 2016

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

Harsh words attributed to Jesus make me uncomfortable, particularly when read in a world trying to deal with the concept of privilege. Albeit, these are true words reported by an astute student of human interactions. While slavery still exists in some forms in our world today as in the sex trade phenomena, slavery is illegal in our country, and we are 150+ years from its being legal. Today classism is indirect in most cases, which makes it a different kind of insidious—gradually harmful, destructive.

I sometimes wonder how people see the world so very differently than I do. Working for 35+ years in human services systems leaves its impact. The US government essentially eliminated welfare with a check sent every month in the 1990’s. It morphed to thousands of people forced to work at one or more low-paying jobs with few if any benefits. Many of these workers receive SNAP (food stamps), Medicaid, and child care subsidies, which are supplements to the low wages not charity or a handout. The people caught in this system are very much the same as those described in our scripture today worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done. The people paying for these supplements are the poor through fees and finds and sales taxes, and the middle class who are not able to take advantage of the same tax deductions as the wealthy.

We are called to do justice by Jesus, called to create a world where all have3 the opportunity to have enough. For a start, we might try to see the people working in these low-wage jobs as our brothers and sisters in Christ held equal in God’s love.

Prayer: God of Justice, help us work to create a world of “haves” where no one is designated as worthless. 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 American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.