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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion January 30, 2005 Hunger and Thirst |
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Frontline Devotion for Sunday, January 30, 2005 By Anne
B. Crawford
Matthew
5:1-12
I’ve just returned from a fabulous two-week cruise through the Panama Canal.
The skies and seas were blue, the air was warm, the ports of call were exotic
and tropical, and life aboard ship was luxurious. I didn’t want for
anything, and certainly didn’t hunger or thirst for two solid weeks – I
could eat or drink nearly 24 hours a day if I chose. There were abundant
food choices all day long and lots of ship staff around to provide beverages
anytime I wanted. To be honest, having so much food and drink available
(and considering how much probably went to waste), bothered me just a little
bit. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing (some good old
fashioned Lutheran “guilt” coming out here).
Sometimes it is good to hunger and thirst, as Jesus noted in the beatitudes –
it is good to hunger and thirst for justice. It is good to recognize the
needs of others and to be about the business of serving others. Much as I
enjoyed being served and waited upon during my cruise, that is not the lifestyle
that Jesus calls us to. He calls us to be servants – to show mercy, to
work for peace, to seek justice, to be meek and pure in heart, and to be willing
to withstand persecution for being followers of Christ. We are called to a
different mind and heart set from much of the rest of the world. I guess
that’s why, although I had a great vacation, I felt a little guilty to be
waited on by staff, many of whom are from less developed countries, and live the
life of conspicuous consumption, even if it was only temporary. Part of me
wanted to make my own bed each day and keep my cabin tidy (even though that was
our cabin steward’s job), and bus my own dishes after lunch in the ship’s
Windjammer Café. In my own small ways on the trip, I wanted to be
of service and to acknowledge God’s blessings. That’s why I made a
point at our dinner table of 8 each evening, to make sure we all said grace
before eating. I needed to remember to thank God not just for the food,
but for everything!
The beatitudes are about the blessings of a Christ-centered, servanthood-oriented
life. They are blessings that don’t depend on wealth, or power, or
position. These are the things in life we should hunger and thirst for as
we go about our daily lives.
Prayer: Gracious God, the material things in life we have and are able to
do are blessings we need to be thankful for. Help us to be thankful as
well, for the blessings of your call to servanthood in your name. Amen.
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