Crumbs at the Table - Pas. Vinod Victor

It was a warm afternoon and for some reason I was late at the dining hall for lunch. As I began to eat my lunch, others were finishing their lunch and getting back to their work. However there was one family still left, who had arrived a little later than the others.

I glanced at the dining room and especially the tables. They were an eyesore; food was dropped sporadically all over the place. Some of us had tried to clean up after eating while others had not. (By the way we have a maid to clean it for us.) This had become so habitual to many of us. As I was observing these things, something unusual caught my attention.

The family that gave me some company had finished their lunch. As they had a child with them, their table was messier than the rest. The father along with the child went to wash their hands and got back to their routines. However the mother did things differently. She began to clean up the table. The next thing she did grabbed my attention, with silent admiration and a sense of awe I watched her bend down and pick up the food that had fallen of from the table. This was not her home and the maid would clean the place in a little while. She could have left the table as it was. She could have stopped at cleaning the table, but she went beyond that and cleaned the whole space that she and her family had used. She chose to be different.

My thoughts immediately went to Nehemiah chapter three. Nehemiah and the Israelites that had come back from captivity began to build the wall of Jerusalem. Each man built the wall that was close to his house. By each one doing their part, they built the wall in fifty-two days! This was a great accomplishment. I think that mother was like that, doing her part for the good of the whole community. I remembered another incident that happened several years ago when I worked for a different organization.

One morning all the staff was given instructions to get ready to attend a residential leadership seminar, the following week. It so happened that the guesthouse we stayed at had some interesting rules. One was that we had to wash our plates after every meal. Initially most of us grumbled. We had been so used to royal treatment on earlier occasions, when we had all our programs in a 5-star hotel. I wondered, “Isn’t this the same attitude we reveal in our homes?” We expect our wives, mothers, sisters, maids or even little brothers and sisters to serve us food and then clean up the tables, plates, etc. Somehow Jesus’ teaching on serving one another has been misunderstood.

Jesus said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave” Mat 20:25-27 (NIV). Jesus’ teaching is, “Do for others as you would like them to do for you,” Luke 6:31 (NLT)

. We can best practice this within our family first. We could possibly do some of the following and add more that are appropriate to our circumstance:+ Give a helping hand by serving our own food and also in serving others at the table. + Pick up the food that was dropped from our plates while eating. + Help our wives and mothers with dishes and give them some rest; the least is to wash our plates. + Give the maid a day off, weekly, which she rightfully deserves. + Serve at the table at least once a week. +Prepare a meal for the entire family on a Sunday. By doing these and many more chores, we clearly display one message to our family – we love them. It also releases them and empowers them to get involved in ministry to people outside the home. They in turn develop and wisely use their time and ability in serving others. The next time you sit for your meal, take a moment to consider your loving family member. For Jesus said, “For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others,” (Mark 10:45 NLT).