Meal Preparation

"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?" - Matthew 24:45 ESV

I read this passage this morning and it hit me kind of hard.

Access to provision is an important thing and only some people have it. It is granted by someone so that distribution happens and is controlled in some way for timely use. Breakfast is served early. Lunch at midday. Dinner feeds the worker who is finally resting from their labor.

"Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed,' and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." - Matthew 24:46-51 ESV

The 'faithful and wise servant' part gets me because I don't see myself as either of these things but anyone who has worked in different places has seen how this works with other resources. Sometimes the person who ends up with the keys is just the one who has been around the longest and they landed on their desk. Their 'wisdom' and 'faithfulness' is just 'knowing the ropes' because they have seen it done hundreds of times. In other places, access is guarded fiercely and those who end up with it are not the people who will use it wisely or mercifully.

Grace... I have access to the cupboard of grace... everyone who understands what Jesus is like and what He has done has access but people need meals made. Jesus is the Master who has gone on a trip.

I can go in and make myself a sandwich and leave everyone else to fend for themselves but what will 'He' say when 'He' returns?

I can lord my access over everyone.

I can tell them to go get their provision. It is free after all. They just need to read the book but it isn't that easy is it? People read the book and don't find the cupboard of grace. It isn't the same as a meal cooked by someone who was trained to cook... who has practiced cooking over many years and observed how others have skillfully used the ingredients.

My Pastor was a man who got up in the morning and made breakfast for everyone. Then he made lunch. We always got a very special Sunday dinner. He wasn't a perfect person but those meals were very very good and nourishing. Grace was the main ingredient in all the meals he made. They, along with other things, healed my wounds and got me on a schedule of getting 'what I could never deserve or earn'.

There are always going to be hungry people. There are also going to be people who just don't appreciate the food they are served. It isn't up to their standard. They are critical and make you just want to hang up the apron.

"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?" - Matthew 24:45 ESV

Boom.

Why is the person cooking meals? Is it the hungry people or is it a calling? Maybe at some future date the master might say, 'Wow. Everyone said your meals were always made with great care.' or 'Suzy loved your pancake recipe.' but when He returns the main issue will be what we did with the access we were given. Did we cook on a schedule so that people could be fed or were we occupied with ourselves and the power we had acquired?

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