The Gospel at Lunch

[Then Jesus said,] “The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” – Matthew 23:11-12 (ESV) 

Many years ago, I spent a semester in Mexico City teaching at a Catholic girls’ school. Periodically, our faculty attended training sessions hosted by the Jesuit school for boys across town, among the most prestigious in the country.  

The food in their lunchroom was pretty good, too. We ate at tables with the boys, who were probably ambivalent about adult company yet showed us sweet respect.   

But what really stood out in that dining hall was the service. I’d never been in a school lunchroom where student waiters served the food, filled your glass, and cleared the plates. They mixed it up jovially with the other kids as they worked yet stayed on task, pleasant, attentive, efficient. 

I wondered, how did they come by this duty? Was it a punishment for breaking the rules? A way to earn extra credit? Or was it compulsory, everyone taking a turn? I began chatting them up.  

Gustavo told me he’d placed first in the annual book-reading competition. Juan Pablo had just been named captain of the fútbol team. Paco had been elected class president a week earlier. Carlitos recently won the lead in the big school play. And Sammy had just recorded the highest GPA in the school. 

“High-achieving waiters!” I remarked to a colleague who taught there.  

“Ah,” he replied, “You get the point.”  

I didn’t, not at first. Then the penny dropped. Lunch duty was the prize for winning. 

Service as reward—it was upside down as the world goes, but in that little corner of the kingdom, no one seemed to notice. It was status quo. 

Prayer
O for a world where it’s status quo to serve and count it as a prize.

About the Author
Mary Luti is a long time seminary educator and pastor, author of Teresa of Avila’s Way and numerous articles, and founding member of The Daughters of Abraham, a national network of interfaith women’s book groups.