Service Included

O

ne evening I decided I had had enough of my own cooking and needed a break.  So I took myself out on the town and ate at a nice Italian restaurant not far from the seminary.  When I got there, the parking lot was relatively empty so I got a choice spot.  I went in, sat myself, and prepared to order.  The menu had so many wonderful things on it that it took me a while to make a decision.  But I settled for the fettuccini alfredo with chicken, a most excellent choice.  My waitress was new to the job but she handled herself very well.  She took my order and when the food was ready, she brought me my dinner.  She checked with me from time to time to make sure I had everything I needed and then left me to eat in peace. 

Across the room from me sat an older gentleman who also was dining alone.  Since there were very few people in the restaurant, we shared the same waitress.  Although she checked with him at regular intervals, it seemed she could do nothing to please this gentleman.  The bread was too hard, he had to wait too long, the food wasn't cooked to his liking, the tea was too strong and the coffee was too weak.  His napkin had a spot on it, he didn't particularly like his table, and he thought the waitress was too slow.  Complain, complain, and complain! The waitress, to her credit, continued to offer this gentleman exceptional service.  At the end of the meal, she gave him his check, cleared his table, and wished him a good evening.  He left her a dollar for her trouble.  I couldn't help but believe that the man was the loser in this situation, not the waitress.

Now there are only two kinds of people in a restaurant, those who serve and those who are served.  Most of us fall into the second category.  We enjoy placing an order, having our glasses refilled, receiving undivided attention, and feeling very important.  If the service is good, we leave a tip.  If the service is exceptional, we may leave a little more. However, if the service is less than we expected, we leave less or nothing at all.   Therefore, it all comes down to whether or not we feel as if our waiter or waitress has adequately met our needs.  It all revolves around our egos and the tip we leave, or don't leave, is in direct proportion to the degree with which we feel our expectations have been met. The amount of the tip says as much about the generosity of the person being served as it does about the service given by the waiter or waitress. 

Would it surprise you to know that Jesus faced this same situation?  He wasn't sitting in a restaurant and he wasn't deciding how much tip to leave.  Instead, his own disciples were vying for positions of importance in his kingdom.  James and John asked Christ if they could occupy the thrones immediately to his right and left, which are elite positions.  The other disciples were very upset at learning of this request.  It could have been because they thought James and John out of line, or it could have been because they felt they were beaten to the draw.

Whatever the reason for their anger, Jesus sent a very strong message about being a servant.  In Mark 10:43-45, Jesus makes the following observation, "but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. “And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”  The requirements for true greatness, according to Christ, are the exact opposite of the world's standards.  We are not here to be served, but to serve others. 

In all points, the life of Jesus was a life of service.  He provided food for five thousand people instead of asking for something to eat himself. When there was no wine at the wedding, he provided it.  When people couldn't walk, he healed them.  When they couldn't see, he opened their eyes, and when they couldn't hear, he unstopped their ears. When a woman was entrapped and accused by her peers, he came to her defense.  When we couldn't come to God on our own, he gave himself as our ransom so that we could be reconciled to God.  The life of Jesus was one of constant self-sacrifice and service.  If Christ were waiting tables today, he would refuse the tip, simply saying, "the service is included."  Could the same be said of us today?