Psalm 116:12-19
I am your servant, the child of your serving girl (v. 16).
My mother did the things she thought Christian mothers should do. She took me to church with ridiculous frequency. She kept me away from age-appropriate sins. She bought two boxed sets of The Chronicles of Narnia.
And, when she was not trying, she showed me how to be a Christian. She baked pies for newcomers, visited the sick, and played with children. She laughed with her friends and cried over strangers’ heartaches. I am the child of God’s serving girl.
At the end of the Last Supper, Mark’s Gospel tells us Jesus and the disciples sing a song (14:26). The traditional Passover hymn is the Hallel (Psalms 113–118), so on the night before he dies, Jesus probably sings, “I am your servant, the child of your serving girl.”
Jesus’ mother took him to the synagogue. She worried about Jesus getting into trouble. She shared the stories of God’s people.
Mary was amazed by the shepherds’ account of the angel chorus. When she could not find twelve-year-old Jesus on the trip home from the temple, she panicked. At the wedding at Cana, she worried that no one would ever know how wonderful her child was.
Then it got complicated. Mary and her son had some testy exchanges. Mary’s heart broke when she heard Jesus say, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” (Matt 12:48).
But on the night before he dies, Jesus sings about his mother.
Some of us are fortunate enough to be God’s grandchildren. We have been raised by God’s servants. God blesses us with faithful people who lead us to ask, What shall I return to the LORD for all his bounty to me? (v. 12).
Consider
Who are the people who show you how to live for Christ?
Pray
God, help me spend today as one of the faithful ones who serve you. Amen.