Spiritual Vigilance

This is such a solid and concise description of the Christian life, from a fellow blogger:

A servant of Jesus Christ is required to always be prepared both spiritually and physically as no one knows the day or the hour when our earthly journey will end. We inherited a specific duty by virtue of our human condition and our baptism to serve our fellow brother and sister in Jesus Christ until the very end.

Spiritual vigilance requires us to live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ by serving God and our neighbor in love and avoid the temptation of only serving ourselves. The battle against the possessive and dominating self requires vigilance, sobriety of heart. When Jesus insists on vigilance, he always relates it to himself, to his coming on the last day and every day: today.

I also had this morsel of Scripture leap out at me while reading the whole post:

Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes; truly, I say to you, he will put on his apron and have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them.

I just love this image of Jesus, not awaiting at the pearly gates to proffer a hug, but waiting with his apron on, to wait on us at table. As if to say, "You must be hungry after your long journey. I'm sure you have many questions; sit down- and would you like a drink?" This seems so appealing when compared to his admonition against Martha. 

In most translations of Luke 12:37, they don't use the word apron. They say he will gird himself or dress himself for service. The NRSV translations all say he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat. 

Either way, though, it's still a delightful way to imagine the setting that may greet us when we die.

It also beckons to mind the towel and the washing of the feet in John's Gospel, a pericope so dear to the diaconal heart. Deacons must be versed in teaching to others the spiritual vigilance as described above. In fact the original word that gets translated into 'he will wait on them' or 'serve' at table is the same word as the word for Deacon, diakon. 

I am delighted by this image of the deacon as a man of the cloth waiting at table, ready with a plate of food from the Word.