Just servants

Matthew 24 : 45 - 51

"It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns."

Yesterday, I reflected on justice, mercy and faithfulness as God's kingdom priorities. Nothing too close to home struck me about the area of justice. But today, as I prayed, the Lord brought to mind an incident that I had been involved in but then dismissed as 'it's just too bad'. Recently, the former maid of a friend sent me an urgent sms. (My friend moved to another country and the maid had returned to the Philippines) She has not received the parcel she sent back and wanted help to trace it. She gave me the contact number of the agent here whom she went through. I called the agent and was told that the parcel had been sent from this end. It is up to the maid to check at the other end. I'm sure the maid has checked at her end and been given vague answers too. Yes, my first reaction is true: 'I've tried to help and 'it's just too bad'. But things like this are forms of injustice.....for those who have no 'voice' or 'high connections'. Today, I realized how distressed the maid must be. Her sms was a plea for help - the losses are significant for her. She had bought those things with her hard earned salary and they mean a lot to her. But what recourse does she have? Recently too, a foreign worker came to the clinic where I was working, after a fall. He had taken a taxi from the site and come with a friend. The employer was not there to help. I advised that he needed an x-ray and would have to go to hospital for that. He was new to the job - only three months or so, and did not know whether his employer would cover the medical costs. If we open our eyes, there are many on the margins even in the very midst of our 'economically growing' nation.

The Lord is always against injustice of any kind. He "works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed". His heart goes out to those who suffer especially because others do not care or care only for themselves. It is easy to believe that we are not guilty of injustice since we live quite 'decent' lives. But I realize that every choice we make may have consequences for others. Often those most affected are the ones most in need. I am grateful that the Lord is convicting me of this area, for my life has always been easy in the material sense. And I often do not realize how difficult life is for the majority of fellow human beings.

One servant does what is just for those he is put in charge of. The other servant acts unjustly because he thinks his master will be away a long time and he can get away with it.

Jesus invites us to be like the wise and faithful servant....and not to put that decision on hold because his time is always 'now'.