Living In America

I heard a statistic some time ago that each person has only a one in thirty chance of being born in America. When I heard this, I pondered on how my life would be different if I had been born in Brazil or Germany, Egypt or Taiwan. I would probably be a very different person today.

Jesus spoke no less than forty-nine times about servants in the Gospels. He placed such emphasis on servitude that he named himself a servant. Living in America, we have a hard time understanding the servant attitude, perhaps because there are so few role models in our middle class American lives.

Few people have true servants. Yes, some may have a maid come in once a week to vacuum and dust, or we may pay for a laundry service to wash and press our clothing. We dine out primarily for the experience of someone 'waiting' on us; this makes us feel special. However, with one exception, most of us have little experience with being the master or the servant. That one exception is Mothers.

Jesus speaks of the true servant attitude in Luke 17: 7-10 RSV:
"Will any one of you, who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down at table'? Will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink'? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'"

This is true of servants - this is true of Mothers, and they are in a greater company.

"But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:43-45 RSV