Slave of Jesus

Today’s Gospel Text:  "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'? 8 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'? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 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.'" Luke 17:7-10

Reflection: What is our relationship with Jesus? Are we his brothers or is he our master or is he just a savior and nothing more or is he the Lord and master of our lives.

Or is he all these and more; the one who is with us as Emmanuel God.

In the gospel Jesus brings out an important aspect of our relationship with him which we are called to live, unpleasant as it may sound and make a demand on us, viz. the Lord and master.

If that is so then we are mere servants of the master, called to be obedient to him and his every command.

This may seem an unpleasant relationship but it is a necessary and unavoidable relationship which all need to live with Jesus in order to live the fullness of life which he came to give.

How can that be? You may ask: Is it not a slavish mindset that we are called to put on?

Indeed yes but a slave to freedom.  If we don’t opt to be a slave of Christ then we are not opting to come out of our slavery to Satan, sin and the power of death, of which we all are. 

Many of us in all ignorance find greater freedom in the many choices we make and in what seems freedom to us. Few realize it, as they end up more and more in bondages and then realize the pain of a terrible disease of slavery to sin and slavish habits.

Here Christ may seem like a task master, but it is an essential quality required of Jesus in order that we may be free from the corruption of sin and decay.

By being obedient to him even blindly (this blindness begins in total trust in his goodness and love), we will be walking in the freedom of the sons of God.(cfr. Rm. 8:12-16) 

Prayer: Lord, I pray that I may have the courage and strength to bind myself to you as a slave in order that I may be set free of all sinful bondages and slavery.

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