The Help



Justinian mosaic, Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy

Luke 12:32-48

“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

You may know them as The Help, the Butler, the maid, the domestic worker, etc There are several names that we have given to the servant class. Many are demeaning. Even their depiction on film can be comical at best: Mr. French from Family Affair, Alice the Maid from The Brady Bunch, Florence the Maid from The Jeffersons, Mr. Belvedere, Geoffrey the Butler from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. At the end of the series none of them inherited the riches of their employer... except for Benson! Benson Du Bois was a character who started off as a the butler on the parody series Soap and then rose through the ranks up to Lieutenant Governor. That is exactly what Jesus is talking about in today's verses from Luke 12.

 

So you may be looking at the mosaic of the Byzantine emperor Justinian and his entourage and feel conflicted about my choice of image. Sure, the emperor Justinian is flanked "right hand men" and soldiers on his right side (who can be understood as servants), but what about those guys on the left. They are all priests and include a bishop (Maximianus of Ravenna). Aha! But these ministers are the greatest servants. The word "minister" actually means "servant", hence many countries call their public servants ministers. I do not state this to argue for the superiority of ministers, actually I believe that ministry is something that must be engaged in with great humility. Just like government public servants, Christian ministers are called by Christ to serve the citizens of the Kingdom of God. They administer the spread the Gospel. They are caretakers of the Lord's treasure: the poor. They warriors in the spiritual battle against sin. They are custodians of peace and mercy. They are ambassadors of Christ's kingdom to those who are foreign to the Word of God. Well, at least that's what a good one is. Those are the servants that, like the Disciples/Apostles, the Father desires to give the kingdom to. Do not be distracted by the "shiny things" that this world takes as treasure... they can be taken by man or rust. The true treasures that God desires to give his servants is the ministry of caring for his children.

“Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

Christ commands his servants/disciples to gird up their loins... the equivalent of hiking up your pants. If, like the Disciples and Justinian's servants you were wearing a robe it involved taking the bottom of the back of your robe and tucking it in the front belt... in effect making "Hammer pants" and ensuring better movement for work. Christ asks that we as his servants be prepped for service. Not only should we be physically prepared in our clothing but we must be spiritually and mentally equipped to serve his creation. To ensure that we do not slack in our service we are promised a return of the Master. Not only any return, but a return from his wedding. We must be ready to serve his new wife in her kingdom. Wait, who did Jesus get married to? Is this some new Dan Brow novel? No, Jesus' bride is the Church. Christ has called his servants to minister to the needs of the Souls that he loves. When Christ speaks of his return you can take it as the judgment after his Second Coming, the judgment awaiting each individual post death or the moments of judgment, punishment and reward that we receive while we are still living. With each scenario the conclusion is the same: Christ demands a reckoning of our dealings with each other. Are we being good stewards of his mercy. Are we serving love to his Church?



Theodora mosaic, Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy

Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?” And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

There is a mosaic in the Basilica of San Vitale that pairs with the one of Justinian. It is the mosaic of his bride the Empress Theodora. She too is flanked by servants, assistants and maids of every sort. Yet Theodora, whose name means "gift of God", was not born into the ruling class. She came from humble beginnings and became the most powerful woman in the history of the Roman Empire (remember the Byzantines were a relocated continuance of the Roman Empire). Theodora started off working I the lowest ring of the servant class: she was employed at a brothel. In those days the professions of actress. dancer and prostitute sort of overlapped at time. She would later give up her former career (yet it appears that she maintained some acting) and would capture the heart of Justinian who was the nephew of the sitting emperor. There was a law on the books at the time that prevented royals from marrying actresses and when Justinian came to power he repealed this law and married Theodora. Christ's bride of the Church came from less than desirable origins. Scripture says that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Each and every one of us has our own stories of struggle in sin and shame but Christ embraced us anyway. He took the punishment of the Law on Calvary's cross and took us as his bride. He redeemed us from our shameful past and has given us his empire to rule with him. In 532 A.D. the Nika Riots broke out in response to popular disapproval of Justinian's governmental policies. It is said that things deteriorated so quickly that Justinian was prepared to flee his own kingdom. In that moment Theodora stepped forward and argued that it is better to stay, fight and die an emperor than to flee, saying "royal purple is noblest shroud." Talk about a "Ride or Die chick"! This was enough to inspire Justinian to stay, fight and win back his kingdom against the mobs. She went on to lead municipal reforms in Constantinople and protect religious minorities from oppression. That is the type of bride that Christ is looking for. That is the type of servant that Christ is looking for. The Lord desires Christians that are faithful and wise stewards of his possessions. They are the servants who will not forsake the care of anyone in the kingdom. Those that fight for the poor, preach love of our enemies and possess faith that endures under pressure. These are the servants that He will make ruler over all that he has. These are the servants that have proved themselves trustworthy.

It is said that "Good Help is hard to find." Jesus said "The harvest is ripe but the laborers are few." These statements are true. There are few that are called to minster in the Lord's service and yet even fewer who endure. Yet for those who do there is a great reward for them. Christ will embrace them as his bride, assistants in governing and victors. They will be His Benson. Benson Du Bois started off over few things as a butler but he became ruler over many as the Lieutenant Governor. That is the journey that God wants his servants to make. In return for their journey He will give them the Kingdom.

 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing
- 2 Timothy 4:7-8