Where do they come from? Late at night, you move the last of the dishes from the sink to the dishwasher, clean up the counters and after a quick glance around the room you turn off the lights heading off to dream of completeness and of a world of things set in place and order.
The next morning, your sink has somehow sprouted dirty dishes! Seemingly this reverse rapture occurs in your sink…but not just yours!
We’ve all shared this experience! You picked up, cleaned up, put away, wiped down, paid out, made it work, finished early, worked late, made the deadline, encouraged them, helped them, saved them, did the right thing… Wow, I’m exhausted just writing that!
But you wake the next day and seemingly start all over again. Some things are never done, complete or finished. This reality can consume and depress unless we see from a differing perspective. Pursuing faithfulness with its unending, ever-pursuing nature can also overwhelm.
Jesus tells his disciples, “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes…” (Luke 12).
We know the bridegroom’s identity. We know we are the servants. But knowing these things doesn’t make the waiting any less exhausting. Waiting’s not our strong suit, especially waiting on someone to return, even if it is Jesus! Waiting demands patience which if you haven’t noticed is definitely in short supply. Waiting implies watching, but doing so with an expectation, full assurance and great confidence of His return.
Pursuing faithfulness involves waiting and watching. We consider these words passive while Jesus envisions great activity. Great as in quality not in quantity. Waiting and watching, these servants are busy preparing for the bridegroom’s return. Their waiting and watching gives purpose to their existence. These servants are not overseeing the summer home of an absentee owner with furniture covered, silver and plates stored away and the smell of moth balls in the closets. This home soon to be occupied stands ready to warmly receive not only the bridegroom but the invited guests as well
What is a wedding without a great feast?
Later, Jesus tells a parable of a great King who invites many to gather for a great feast. He tells his servants again and again to fill up every available space! He implores them to invite everyone they meet, include even those who seem far away or forgotten, leave nothing to chance, go again and again, and fill my house!
Perhaps one parable informs the other and we understand our waiting and watching includes kingdom expansion. So we make ready for more. We invite more. We include more and they join us waiting and watching, making ready, inviting, serving, sharing…
Still this pursuing, unending, never quite complete nature of watching can overwhelm without a proper perspective.
Why we watch matters almost as much as how we watch!
Grace open the door for me. Jesus did that. Someone faithfully watching invited me to join. One who was watching as servant compelled me. So grace revealed in our gratitude, we watch.
This work rests not nor does it depend on our power. At the end of the day, you and I are called to pursue faithfulness by being in relationship with God. We rely on His work looking to what Christ accomplished on the cross. We rely on His strength seeing the power displayed in resurrection. We trust His leadership evidenced by the work of the Holy Spirit within us.
One day our waiting will come to its conclusion. “Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.” One day we’ll be seated at that table, resting in grace fully revealed. This future reality motivates and captivates, giving our present pursuit a sense of joy as we push back from this great wedding feast seeing His joy.
So…those dishes in my sink give evidence of life in my home. The alternative is unthinkable. Whomever placed that dirty dish, knows somebody took care of them, loved them, provided for them and even made room for them. God apparently trusts me as God has put someone in my life to love and values my contribution enough that He is teaching me how to love. Given this perspective, regaining it again and again, pursuing faithfulness kindles a great passion to use these hands for the Master.
Pursuing Faithfulness 