Richard Ethun proud husband of Karen, father of Elizabeth, Angela and Cecilia, member of St Lukes for 30 plus years, GoodWill Sunday School Class teacher, Sinner and Saved by Grace

Matthew 24:45-51

45 ‘Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other servants their allowance of food at the proper time? 46Blessed is that servant whom his master will find at work when he arrives. 47Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. 48But if that wicked servant says to himself, “My master is delayed”, 49and he begins to beat his fellow-servants, and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know. 51He will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Reflection:

I had lunch with a friend who is a criminal defense attorney and a very good one. He is whip-smart, and I always marvel at his breadth of knowledge. At this meeting, we talked about ancient Greek and Roman history and the beginnings of Western Civilization. No conversation of western civ is complete without mention of the Pantheon of Gods. He said his favorite Roman god was Janus, the two-headed god of antiquity. Now let me be quick to mention this friend is a Christian but perhaps a bit irreverent (he has a refrigerator magnet that says, “Look busy. Jesus is coming.”) He said that Janus the god with two faces, one looking back and one looking forward, was a perfect metaphor for the legal profession and the adversarial nature of it. Two sides to every story, two perspectives to events, two potential outcomes meted out by the judge. Janus was also invoked by the Rex Sacrorum (head priest) at all ceremonies for all the other Roman Gods indicating beginnings and endings, passages, time, and choice. I told you he was smart. I mean, who remembers things like Rex Sacrorum?

I remembered this lunch and our conversation when I read Matthew’s Gospel recounting Jesus speaking of the Signs of the End of the Age. And one parable, in particular, the story of the faithful or the unfaithful servant. In this parable, Jesus offers us the comparison of the faithful and wise servant to the wicked and slothful one. Okay, he didn’t say slothful, but that is a bit of projecting on my part. And it is clear we have a choice. I want to be the faithful and wise disciple but my nature says otherwise. Every teenager when they know their parents are due home from a long weekend, or husband who gets the call from his wife to say she is on the way from her weekend with her girlfriends has one clear and urgent message: It’s time to clean up. And be quick about it.

So when do we get the call from Jesus that it’s time? Time to clean up our act, put things back in order, get straight. If Christ will come on a day we do not expect at an hour we do not know, then I don’t think we will get a heads-up. We are human. Subject to all the flaws, foibles, and failings of life in the physical. Jesus knew this, knew us – he knows us. He knows we will be self-centered, judgmental, dismissive, and unkind. And that we will be generous, understanding, loving, and patient. It is always our choice. But He also knows where we came from – whose we are. Through the Grace of God, he gave his life for us that through his suffering, death, and resurrection we would be washed clean back to where we began. Walking with God, free of guilt, shame, and pain. Not as hypocrites, as pretenders but heirs to the kingdom. He walked and lived among us to show us the way to a better life, the best life if we would just remember. Remember where we came from and where we are going.

The statue of Janus is a good metaphor for the Law but also for our existence. One face looking backward – from where we have come; the other facing forward – to where we are going. The missing face – the one looking back at us is our choice.

Prayer:

God of Grace and Glory, help me. I am pulled by so many self-interests, wants, and desires in this life.  Help me to remember that I came from you and someday I will be coming home to you so that I can live in this world in the Spirit of Jesus and the strength of his Love. Help me to be the person who remembers. In Christ’s Holy name. Amen.