Put On Your Apron
If a survey were done on why people no longer go to church, what do you think the number one answer would be? You guessed it! “Because I get nothing out of it.” Does this answer make any sense? If I walk up to a vending machine and press “B2” to get my favorite candy bar, and nothing comes out even if I shake the machine, what happened? I didn’t put my dollar in! If we put nothing into something, including Mass, we’ll get nothing out of it.
In our pleasure-driven age, we find ourselves making decisions based on what makes us feel good. We like our TV’s because all we have to do is to press a button to get entertained. Our culture tells us that we are the center of the universe, and everything was created to serve us. As we know from experience, this “god of pleasure” eventually lets us down.
Jesus talked to his leaders, the Apostles, today about leadership (Luke 17:7-10).
“Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’? Would he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat.’”
Servants were full-time employees. They didn’t do a job and then expect that their master would sit them down at table and serve them. When one task was completed, they took up the next of their duties. Their purpose in life was to serve their master, not to be entertained.
Jesus says that the master will tell the servant,
“Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished.”
While we are on this earth Jesus wants us to be “apron wearers.” Our full-time job is to serve the Master by doing whatever he asks of us. It is not the Master’s job to entertain us and make us happy. So, when we walk into church, let’s imagine ourselves putting on our aprons and getting ready to serve the Lord and to serve the others gathered there rather than expecting to be entertained.
Jesus concludes:
“So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’”
As workers in the Kingdom of God we don’t even ask the question, “What will I get out of it.” Instead, we ask the question, “What does the Master want me to do now? How am I to serve?” Eventually we will be rewarded for our work; God is a just God. In the meantime, however, our reward is serving and pleasing God. Can any dose of earthly pleasure match this?
There are times when we enjoy doing our work for God; there will be other times when we seem to “get nothing out of it.” In either case God is pleased with our obedient service. In the end, as Jesus once said, he will sit us down at table and dine with us.
Jesus knew that leaders face the temptation to be honored and served by their followers. This was not to be the leadership style among the Apostles. It was not about getting the “perks” that supposedly came with their office.
Being surrounded in a “me-centered” culture, it is difficult for us to go against the flow and be willing to do whatever God wants of us—even if we feel that we are getting nothing out of it.
