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Are you a “What’s in it for me” disciple?

“We have done only what we ought to have done.” Luke 17:10b

In 1998 Pope John Paul II appointed Col. Alois Estermann as the new commander of the corps of Swiss Guards who provide protection for the Pope.  It was the happiest moment of his life and the pinnacle of his career. It was a particularly noteworthy achievement since Estermann was the first non-Swiss to hold the position.

Yet ten hours after his exciting moment, Estermann and his wife lay dead in a pool of blood on the floor of their apartment.

The murderer, Cedrich Tornay, who took his own life at the scene, was a youthful member of the Swiss Guards.  But Tornay, unlike fellow guards, was not slated to be recognized at an upcoming ceremony to mark Estermann's appointment. Estermann had recently reprimanded Tornay for an indiscretion. The reprimand prevented him from receiving recognition at the awards ceremony scheduled for a few days after Estermann's appointment by the Pope.

Frustrated at this apparent ingratitude, Tornay pumped five bullets into the body of Estermann and his wife before turning the gun on himself.

He hadn't been thanked. He hadn't been recognized.  He hadn't received a pat on the back.  He hadn't been given his due, at least in his mind, so he committed murder.

There’s a bit of a controversy going on in Chicago right now between Chicago Cubs players and coaches, and the Cub T.V. analyst, Steve Stone.  Stone has been critical of the Cub’s play in the last week or so, and Cub’s players and coaches think he’s not appropriately recognized that the Cubs have had a good season – of course not to mention they have lost 7 of their last 8 games and eliminated themselves from the National league wildcard race.

I ask you.  Is this what life is all about?  Is life all about recognition and accolades? Is this what life is all about?  Apparently Cedrich Tornay thought so. The Cub’s players think so.

You know who else thinks so?  The greeting card industry in America seems to think so. They are doing their best to keep us endlessly appreciating each other. Their very survival depends upon our obsessive purchases of cards for every possible occasion. There are cards for getting together, cards for breaking up, cards to say you're sorry, and cards to announce you're right; cards for every possible person in your family and extended family; for every possible holiday, event and accomplishment -- and even some holidays we know had to be invented by the card industry. 

We submerge our children in cradle-to-grave expectations of recognition. The time-tested grading system of old evidently doesn't offer enough opportunities for our diminishing self-concepts.  We have gifted programs, advanced placement and obligatory certificates of achievement. If our children merely show up for some events, they arrive home with another certificate. We don't have room on our walls for all the awards and certificates, or space on our shelves for all the trophies. If we don’t receive some kind of accolade for the simplest of tasks, we feel slighted and cheated.  We're thanking, recognizing and accolading ourselves blue in the face.  And I ask, “Is this what life is all about?”  Apparently we must think so.

Then comes along today’s gospel passage.  I keep telling you that many of Jesus’ teachings are extremely counter-cultural and offensive to our 21^st century sensibilities and values.  My friends, here is another doozy!  We keep trying to make Jesus into a sweet, nice and sensitive guy, but let me tell you, today we are hard pressed.  Listen!

“Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table?’  Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink?’  Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded?  So you also… say, ‘we have done only what we ought to have done.’”

Do you get the point?  First, we must note the context.  A first century household slave had no rights whatsoever.  A first century household slave had no identity and no life outside that of being a slave, owned outright by a master.  A slave’s total identity was through the master’s identity.  A slave lived his life through the master’s life.  A slave had no alternatives.  A slave only had the master’s commands to obey and the master’s expectations to fulfill.  It was not a matter of having options.  It was a matter of obedience.  A slave’s life was not his own, it was comprehensively the master’s.

Do you get the point?  Jesus tells his disciples that following him is just like that!  Oh!  Oh!  Jesus reminds his disciples that slaves should not expect accolades for doing what slaves are supposed to be doing. If we, by definition, are called to serve those around us, then simply fulfilling our defined responsibility should yield no great recognition.   In fact, true and worthy recognition is trivialized when it's dished out too easily, or announced too widely. "Truth," said Mark Twain, "is such a precious commodity.   It should be used very sparingly." The same may be true of well-timed and sincere words of appreciation.

This whole thing flies in the face of our 21^st century sensibilities and rules for good manners.  We see a side to Jesus here that appears offensive and abrasive.

But keep in mind, this passage does not rule out the principle of reward or recognition. In fact, Jesus himself often used the principle of reward in many of his other parables. "Well done, good and faithful servant," (Matthew 25:21) he said.  Nor does this passage condone the master's treatment of the servants as acceptable behavior.  Again, Jesus himself modeled and advocated servant leadership when he washed the feet of his disciples and shed any attitude of power and privilege. Jesus said, "Whoever would be greatest among you, let him be the servant of all."

But you see, this gospel text is not about good manners or being polite or not being polite.  So what is Jesus about here?  What is this passage all about?  It’s about discipleship.  This passage is about following the Lord Jesus Christ, and becoming his servant; his slave.

The question that arises, aggressively out of this passage and gets in our faces is, “Why do you serve God?  Why do you serve Jesus Christ?”  - assuming you do.

This passage clearly excludes expectations of reward and accolades as the motivation for serving Jesus Christ. Whether or not the Master chooses to reward his servants is his own business. He probably will. All indications are he will.   But the servants should not wait to determine the potential reward before they decide to serve. There is such a thing as duty -- obligation without any guarantee of reward.

The disciple of Jesus Christ; the servant of Jesus Christ doesn’t serve to be rewarded; the disciple of Jesus Christ, the servant of Jesus Christ serves. Suppose you instructed two youth to mow the lawn. One says, "Okay," and does it!  The other says, "How much will you give me for it?"   I ask you, “Which one of the two would you most enjoy paying?”

That is exactly what this passage is about.  I believe there are way too many “What’s in it for me?”  disciples out there – and sometimes they are you and me.  As a pastor I hear it and see it all the time: “I’ll serve when it’s convenient.  I’ll serve when I can fit it in to my schedule.  I’ll serve if I’m not asked to do too much.  I’ll serve if it’s safe for me to do so.  I’ll serve if I’m not made vulnerable.  And if I do serve then you had better be grateful.  You owe me.  And if you are not, I’m taking my marbles and going home!”

·        I wonder if Jesus checked his schedule first to see if he could fit in a visit to Jerusalem that last fateful week?

·        I wonder if Jesus considered security issues before he rode his donkey into Jerusalem that Palm Sunday so long ago? 

·        I wonder if Jesus considered his potential vulnerability before he turned over the money changers tables and predicted the destruction of the temple – behavior that stirred the ire of his enemies? 

·        I wonder if Jesus considered the gratitude of the crowds when he knew all along he was headed for a hideous execution and even his best friends would betray him?

 I’m sure glad that when instead of thanking him they murdered him he didn’t take his marbles and go home.

Jesus Christ owes us nothing, not even his gratitude, because he has already given us everything!  We could say that Jesus’ “gratitude,” as expressed in God’s love that flowed through his body broken and blood shed, was given in advance.  Christian discipleship is not about you being thanked or given recognition.  Christian discipleship is about you thanking God and giving your life as a servant in eternal appreciation.

But by our way of thinking service is optional and appreciation is obligatory. But within the kingdom of God service is obligatory and appreciation is optional.

You see, we live in a “What’s in it for me” kind of world.  Before we do most anything, a little voice goes off inside our heads that says, “What’s in it for me?”  “What’s the reward?”  “What’s the payoff?”  “What’s the accolade?”  “What do I get?”

What this passage boils down to is this:  Are you (am I) a “What’s in it for me” disciple?   

Believe me I know it is hard to toil without anyone noticing and without any appreciation. And I am not saying that we shouldn’t thank and express appreciation to each other – of course we should. But that is not what this passage is about. 

This passage is about discipleship. It’s about why we serve.  It’s about our motivation for serving. 

I think of it this way.  The litmus test for the servant of God is just this:  We may call ourselves servants of God, but do you know how we can really tell?  By our attitude when we are actually treated as such.

The desire to be appreciated is certainly not new, unusual or necessarily wrong. Nor should we refrain from expressing genuine and well-timed affirmation to others.

But when it comes to discipleship, when it comes to serving the Lord Jesus Christ the only thing that matters is that “we have done only what we ought to have done.” Luke 17:10b