Responding to Thanks

አግብርት ፡ ፅሩዓን ፡ ንሕነ ፡ ወዘይደልወነ ፡ ለገቢር ፡ ገበርነ ።

We are unworthy bondservants; we have only done what was our duty. 

 In Holy Luke's account of the Good News (17:7-10) we hear (hopefully with ears that hear) a parable about farm and sheep laborers who are in bondage to a lord. Rhetorical questions and obvious answers regarding these bondservants are used to shame the hearers once these hearers have understood how the story functionally applies to them. The hearers in the gospel account are the Apostles. But, anyone who has ever heard this message, and indeed you who read and hear this blog post have now been sucked into the judgment of the text - a direct command to change your human behavior into godly behavior.

People will thank you for folding chairs. People will thank you for passing out holy water. People will thank you for carrying food to the kitchen. People will thank you for singing in the choir. People will thank you for teaching and preaching. People will thank you for forgiving them. People will thank you for comforting them. People will thank you for prioritizing others before you.

People will thank you for denying you, carrying your cross daily, and following Jesus Christ.

Don't blush. Don't become proud. Recognize that you have done NOTHING extra. It doesn't matter if you have carried your cross more than anyone else in your local parish, state, country, continent, hemisphere, planet, galaxy, or universe. There is always and everywhere, more to do. We must always say

አግብርት ፡ ፅሩዓን ፡ ንሕነ ፡ ወዘይደልወነ ፡ ለገቢር ፡ ገበርነ ።

We are unworthy bondservants; we have only done what was our duty. 

Furthermore, we must love each other.

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