Billie

For he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. Luke 1:48

She was a topnotch educator. She taught high school girls and she took them as they are yet brought them to their full potentials. Her approach to spending time with her students outside the four corners of the classroom seems to have bear fruits during those times. In verity, most of her high school students became her friends. She also handled values education for college students. Her students came to clinch the fact they are loved by God whatever they have done or whoever they are or wherever they came from.

She developed a scholarship program at one university which has benefitted numerous current professionals inside and outside the Philippines. More than giving them academics, she formulated a skills education program or tutorial sessions, mostly things they would not learn in engineering, accountancy or computer science classes, for the scholars to work on every time they had vacation. She pushed for the scholars to give back to the school by assigning them to assist during enrolments and to the community by providing hours for social work. Benefactors living in the province or outside the country have maintained friendships with her even after she was transferred to another position.

She coordinated a national inter-university catholic movement for college students in Pampanga. The movement started in the university where she worked; however, it flourished to having branches in all four major college institutions in the province under her watch. She helped train young people to reach young people. She served with no reservations. With no compensation for this volunteer work, she even brings out of her own pocket to fund the activities. Out this movement, at least in Pampanga, born were two priests, and a herd of men and women, who have embraced life in Christ for their whole lives as long as they live.

She has a heart for her land. When Fr. Ed Panlilio declared his candidacy in 2007, she quickly offered what she can do for the campaign. She co-hosted the grand Miting de Avance in May of 2007. She was glued at the counting of the ballots in one turning moments of the elections. I saw her heart being poured in what she believed is right for the province.

When we moved abroad, she had to be a full-time wife and mother. I am on an employment-based visa thus she cannot work legally. Besides, having two small daughters required her to be a stay at home mom. She had only minor experience in household chores since we had her late mother plus a kind helper living with us when we were in the Philippines. I know this was not her usual territory. Cooking was an issue. House cleaning is a major concern. Preparing the girls for school is another. Doing the laundry and ironing clothes were part of the job description. Being the one who will sleep last at night and first to stand up in the morning was a struggle. She is on-call for our daughters' school activities and other events.

After three years, she has defied the odds of being at home. Nowadays, her Bulalo is most wanted when there is a Filipino gathering. Her Tinola is my favorite. Her Filipino spaghetti is her daughters' request. Her Maja Blanca and Ube porridge are the best. She learned how to prepare bibingka and leche flan as coached by her friends. She maintains our home in a more recognizable way. A beloved mother, our daughters have known her personally and closely more than when we were in the Philippines. She has also trained our daughters to help out in doing work at the kitchen or at the laundry room. Most of all, she continues to inculcate values to our daughters the way she have done before to other young people.

When things go out of the way we imagined, she clings to the anchor of faith to hold on to me. She keeps on reminding me on what God has done and what God is doing. She points not to herself but to the One who is able.

Her role might have been reduced in a sense yet she knew her part can't be compensated for being a full-time wife and mom. She did not allow her self-esteem to roll into the ground. She did not see her value diminished. She did not rate her worth as naught. She does these things out of love for us not because she loves doing the household tasks. More than doing things with her hands, she does things from her heart.

In her lowliness, God has looked upon his handmaid and she is blessed. And we are all blessed.

God's Rambo

For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. Luke 2:11

He comes to fight. He comes to rescue. He comes to save men and women. You need someone to go to war with you, he steps forward. No hesitations. No thinking twice. He puts his band on his head. He's loaded for the battle. With his eyes ready to rumble, he seems like saying,"I'm coming to get you."

He is not Sylvester Stallone, he is Jesus Christ.

Christmas day is God's declaration of war. War against sin and death. He sends his Son, Messiah and Lord. May not be his last stand but this is his best stand. He is saying, "The buck stops here." No more slavery but freedom. No more bondage but grace. Jesus will lead us towards the doors of our Alcatraz.  He will not remain in his Pentagon directing our actions, he is with us in our daily and life conflicts. We are armed with his love, his presence and his faithfulness to hustle the bustle, to fight the good fight. Side by side, shoulder to shoulder he is with us.

We are victorious for he is. At the end, even at the start, we know we will. For he fights for us, he fights with us.

Presence is the Present

"Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means "God is with us." Matthew 1:23

I was putting her to sleep when Bless asked, "What gift did you receive from your parents when you were a small boy during Christmas?" "Wala." I answered. When I was sure she was asleep, I reflected on that answer. I thought I gave a quick short reply for her to go to sleep. As I was watching my Christmas childhood in my mind, it turned out my answer was right.

Our father would knock on our doors for the whole family to get together at the Christmas eve dinner table. Not much of a feast but it was a feast of everybody's presence. No one will continue to sleep, everybody will stand up and eat. After that we will go to church and at the morning, the kids will roam around to greet and pay respect to relatives who will in turn give us gifts, cash or in kind. I don't remember our Tatang and our Ima giving us gifts.

What I significantly remember is this, our parents were always there for us. They were always present for us. There was no night my father spent somewhere else but at home. He did not work late, he has his own business. His routine was always work-home-work-home. He was always there. Our mother was always at home or at school for her kids. We go to school and go back home with her at home. She was always available for us. No gift was needed to be given, their presence is their present.

Max Lucado tweeted, "God is with us" is present tense. God is always present so don't be tense.

This is God's greatest gift to us. Being with us. He is with us now. Not only yesterday. Not only for tomorrow. Not only with your pastor. Not only with your leader. Not only with the priests or with the nuns. Not only with the missionaries. Not only with the famous author or preacher. He is with us. Us is spelled you and I.

He gives his presence the same he gave it to Moses at the burning bush. He walks with us the way he walk on the water with Peter. He shows himself to us like he showed himself to Paul along the way to Damascus. Sitting with us like he sat with the adulterous Samaritan woman at the water well. Standing with us like he stood and prayed for the food to be multiplied. Touching us in the way he reached out for the lame and the sick.Talking to us like he was talking at the temple when he was a little boy.

God is with us. Emmanuel. Always with us. His presence is the present.

Honoring Jesus

...and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7

It's a way of life in the charismatic community I belong to honor someone who's celebrating his or her birthday.  So, today, it is only appropriate to enumerate some things, there are countless things, to which I want to honor and thank the Lord Jesus Christ. So here it goes...

• I honor you for your presence. Everyday I pray that you may  be with us, to our family. I know, it won't be easy being with us. We are stubborn and we succumb to wrongdoings. Yet, I always felt your presence kept us together with you and together with one another. Truly "God is with us".
• I thank you for sustaining us for the past three years we have been living in the United States. Talking about being in the right place in the wrong time. Recession hits the US, recession hits us. By your providence and the grace to believe in your promises, we are doing well. Our family have been tight knit. We do things together. We go to the same places together. We are always together. Being here gave us further the meaning of being a family.
• I honor you for keeping us in good health. My daughters have had some body issues but all were quickly passing. My wife still battles her back and bone problems but everything is manageable. And me? The doctor said I am in perfect shape.
• I thank you for sustaining our hearts and passion to serve you. Thank you for bringing to us brothers and sisters to whom we receive and give love and support. Our group is not perfect and we are still growing, which is great, for these are definitions of a community. I thank you for giving our daughters the desire to serve you as altar servers. I thank you for the service my wife is rendering to us and other people. I thank you for opening doors for me to help out in the inner city missions in our county.
• I honor you for providing for the company I work for. We broke even this year, in the middle of a challenging economy, as reported by our managers. This is good news. It means we can look forward to the new year with stability for my family.
• I praise you for keeping my family back home and my brother in UK and my sister in Singapore safe and sound. I honor you for the distance we have with one another gave us the closeness we never had when we were accessible to one another. Hello Skype and Facebook! Thank you Jesus!
• You have given me this writing ministry. I honor you for waking up the writer in me. I knew I had it when  I was in high school and college, yet you work in wondrous ways, after all the years the gift you gave is still lethal and effective. It does not age, for you do not. It does not change, for you do not. With this gift, you and I can reach the world in places I will never be for your glory. I honor you!
• The past year was not without challenges and difficulties. The death of my mother in law, the renewal of my working visa, the audit of my labor certification, the decision to stick with our brothers and sisters in community traveling a total of six hours to be with them are just some. When these issues stole our focus you were quick to bring us back. When the waves are too strong for us, you calmed us more than you calmed the waves. Thank you for your ever available strength in times of distress.
• Thank you for friends. Physical or virtual friends you have given us are precious. We find other angles with them. We find other views from them. You know whom to give us and you know whom to be with us. Thanks Jesus!
• And lastly, Lord Jesus, I honor and thank you for bearing with me. For being patient with me. Your love I don't deserve yet you give it unconditionally.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways! (Romans 11:33). Thank you for kicking in the inspiration in me. I thought you would run out but not. Daily I sought you and daily you find me. Daily I reflected in your words, daily you reveal yourself. Daily I prayed and daily you answered.

Happy Birthday Jesus! Honor and thanks to you alone!

Not Just Another Ordinary Night

Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. Luke 2:20

In this receding economy, it was just another ordinary night.

The office party dinner table has a lot of spaces to fill.  The gifts given were limited. No raffle prizes drawn, not as usual. The smiles were timid. The greetings were not so warmth. The executive manager's announcement at the start of the party unveiled the theme, "Welcome to the austerity Christmas party."

Later that night, my wife and I spoke about our financial standing. We will go through this but not with our belts tightened. My wife practically counts her steps as she goes for Christmas shopping. She searches the best available coupon there is. She spends time more than my office hours digging into the best bargain in town.

We were about to say our "Good nights." when my phone catches a message which reads a dear brother in Christ will soon be jobless. He has a family to feed, bills to pay and a community to serve.

The shepherds in the fields are having their just another ordinary night. Performing their job; counting the sheep, feeding their flock, protect them from attackers, trying to beat sleepiness. Until the angel showed up and asked them to show up at the manger. They left the ordinary to meet the extra-ordinary. They only knew about the ordinary when they went, they rejoiced in the extra-ordinary when they returned. They returned to the same flock with different hearts. They came back to the same fields as different shepherds. Because an extra-ordinary God came as an ordinary baby. Because an extra-ordinary Shepherd invited ordinary shepherds to his birthday.

Thus I came to the Christ who comes. I left the fields of worries. I came to the Manager of the manger. The fields I left will be the same fields when I return. Yet, I am a different shepherd since I have been in his presence of the Shepherd. Since I have been with the Living Hope, I returned with hope for the living. Since I have been with the Promise Keeper, I returned holding on to his words.

I rejoiced! Having an extra-ordinary God in a not just another ordinary night.

Mary Did You Ask?

She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7b

Did you ask, "Is this God's Son or just my son?"

An angel told you the fruit inside your womb is of the Most High. He will take on the throne of David. He will rule and his kingdom will never end. Yet, here you are giving birth in a manger. No clean room or house is available, God allowed you to labor in a dark and cold stable. The Son of the Most High in a lowly place. The King in a servant's abode. His never ending kingdom starts in a place where no princes have reside.

Did you ask, "Is this God's plan or just another event bound happen?"

You heard from the angel you are favored. No accommodation was given to you when Joseph knocked on doors. No approbation as you traveled from one town to another. The only compliment you got is from four legged creatures. You took their place in that stable. No room at the inn. Labor in a manger. Favored?  

No verse indicates you questioned God's plan. No tradition telling us you pouted about what happened. You believed. You held God's promise. You were undivided. You had one heart for God and his plan.

May we be like you. Undivided in faith. One heart for God. No questions asked.

Great Fear to Great Joy

The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear.  Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. Luke 2:9, 20

They were with great fear. Not just an ordinary fear. Not some normal fear. Not a fear you usually have daily. It was a feeling of great fear.

Eleven verses after, the great fear turns into a great joy. You have to have great joy when you glorify and praise God after what you've been told is all true!

What happened in the middle of verses 9 and 20? The shepherds met their Shepherd. They met their Savior and Lord. They may have had great fear for they thought they will die in facing God's angels, but meeting the Messiah gave them life. From having great fear to having great joy.

For us who have been living in fear before we have crossed paths with our Lord and Savior. For us who have woke up each morning and retired each night with inner gladness since meeting the Messiah in one way or another.

Scan into your fears. Carefully run into your worries. Afraid of your hunting past? Panic about the present? Frightened of the future? Run to Bethlehem. Return to that manger. Meet the Messiah. Again.

You can go back to your field a changed person knowing you have a Messiah who does not change. A King Shepherd who allowed himself to be born in a stable for you to know everything you've been told about him is true. It still rings true today. His presence, love and promises are real as what you have been told.

Who alone can turn great fear to great joy? Jesus. No one else..

Jump

When John heard in prison of the works of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to him with this question, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" Matthew 11:2-3

He jumped twice.

First, he was imprisoned in a woman's womb. He recognized Jesus that he jumped for joy as soon as the sound of greetings was heard in his mother's ears.

Second, he was imprisoned in a cell. He recognized Jesus that he jumped for a question as soon as his ears heard about the miraculous exploits of the Messiah.

The first prison gives life. The second was near to his death.

The first prison was a start. The second was a mile away from the finish line.

The first prison gave him warmth. The second gave him the cold bars.

The first prison was secure. The second was insecure.

The first prison gave him assurance. The second included the word "or".

Understand John, understand yourself.

You jump for joy when the weather in your family is warm. You leap with gladness when the job is secure. You tip top when your health and finances are assured. You hurdle when your church of community gives you an encouraging life.

And yet, question marks fill your life and you bound in inquiry when family relationships are cold. You soar with your "or" when your job is standing on quick sand. You jump in doubt when there is sickness and poverty. You hop and skip to absence when church or community is not life giving.

In both prisons, recognize Jesus as Messiah. This would be enough to jump. For Jesus and for joy.

God Holds Your Hand

For I am the LORD, your God, who grasp your right hand; It is I who say to you, "Fear not, I will help you." Isaiah 41:13

He could have said, "I will send angels to hold you and help you." But did not. He could have said, "My prophets will take your hand and give you aid." But did not. He could have said, "My disciples will reach out to you, and you will be fine." But did not.

But here, God is telling us, he will grasp our hand and tell us face to face, "Fear not, I will help you." Here is a God who promises us, "I will feel your pain, and I will ease it or erase it." Here is a God who says, "Feel my grip on you, I will never let go of you." Here is a God who declares, "I am here for you and will guide you."

There is more than holding or grasping hands.

There is intimacy. For lovers who are in their honeymoon or in their 5oth year of marriage.

There is security. For a daughter tightly locked into her father's arms amidst the darkness of a movie theater.

There is goodness. For a stranger who volunteers to hold the aging man and help him reach the other side of the street.

There is empathy. For a calamity victim as he is encouraged by the missionary worker.

There is hope. For a hospital bedridden patient as she feels the clasp of her doctor's hands.

There is endurance. For a friend who reaches out a friend for him to hurdle the next step towards the mountain top.

There is gladness. For a father swinging his hands coupled with his daughter's around the playground.

And God assures us, he is a personal God who grasp our hand. A God who becomes one of us come December 25, to feel our sorrows and celebrate our joys. To reach out to us. To become intimate with us, to understand what we are undergoing. To be one with us. For us to be secured and hopeful. For us to endure and enjoy. Friends, we have a God who holds your hand.

In Spite Of

'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.' Matthew 11:17

From time to time, I am getting tired of doing this reflection blog.

There are situations when I question if it is worth my time. There are inquiries in my prayers if I am impacting people. Doubts if I am making a difference. Worries if I am creating relevance.  These feelings and thoughts come to mind and heart, especially when nobody cares to read what I write. Days when even my number one fan, my wife, does not bother to click the blog link in her Facebook page. Or when my youngest sister who used to be quick to read what I've written completes her day without visiting my site. Or when a brother in Christ, Rolly Musngi, fails to come on-line and go to his bookmarks to read my blog.

There are maybe thousands of bloggers out in the web. Frankly, I am in awe when blogs about political and entertainment satire, or about sports claim a large readership. Basing from the comments and stats they receive in each of their posts, these sites seem to influence a lot of people. Sort of creating relevance.

Will I just turn to another genre to impact people? Will I bring out my another side to create relevance? Will I shun my commitment to this ministry since I have less circulation?

Jesus described his generation as someone who played the flute and sung a dirge. Yet, Jesus did not dance to their tune. Yet, Jesus did not cry over their lamentations.  Bottom line, Jesus did not allow his calling and commitment be affected with other people's actions.  Further he elaborated, For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, 'He is possessed by a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, 'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' (Matthew 11:18-19). No matter what the outside world looks at it, Jesus and John the Baptist maintained their commitment to their calling.  Their generation did not put weight on their lives and in what they do.

In any Christian service that we do, feeling of tiredness is natural. The disappointments are inevitable. Discouragements are always part of the deal. You can go unnoticed. You can serve as invisible. Stats and clicks don't matter if you are not committed. Affirmations don't count if you don't respond to the calling. For we are called to be committed and to be committed to the calling in spite of.

See You At The Summit

Moving on from there Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, went up on the mountain, and sat down there.  Great crowds came to him, having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others. They placed them at his feet, and he cured them. Matthew 15:29-30

He is the first and only blind man to reach the peak of the Everest.

Yes, you read that right. A blind man standing at the top of Mt. Everest. His name is Erik Weihenmayer.

How did he do it? Simple. Welcome another Eric. Eric Alexander.

Eric guided Erik to reach the summit. Erik and Eric are buddies who have experience in mountain climbing. Erik dreamed and wanted to climb the Everest. He invited Eric and others to be with him to which Eric said yes. 

In an interview, Eric was asked what his focus was or what made him go on to reach the peak. "It's the relationships." Eric replied. For three to six weeks of ascending, reaching the top was all about relationships. It was not even about the goal of stepping at the topmost. It was about being there together, guiding the blind man to walk this way or climb this way. Each step was counted. Each stride was cherished. I guess, if Eric did not have this tight relationship with the blind man, Erik, the journey will be terribly hard added to the difficulty of the trail. And it's this relationship which enabled them to reach the summit.

It's the same with the people who brought the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others to Jesus. Jesus, who was sitting on a mountain. Going up the mountain must be hard. Yet, it must be harder when you bring someone who is not physically able to do so. How can a blind climb? How can the lame step further? Will the deformed hurdle the whole mile? Can the mute communicate if he loses the track? Can the able withstand the complexity of the travel? They can - only with strong relationship with one another.

Are you in a similar situation? You are guiding someone who might be lame in some way. You are with somebody who can't see the truth. You live with a person who has deformed perceptions. You work with a friend who can't speak for himself. Or you yourself is the differently abled. Focus on your relationships. Accept each other's limitations. Support each other. Lift one another. Carry each other's burden. Admonish each other from time to time. Build one another's confidence. Love one another as you love yourself. 

You and that person will reach the God of the mountain. You and your friend will find healing at his feet. As you start or continue your journey, you can say to one another, "See you at the summit."

Wait Problem

Wait for the LORD, take courage; be stouthearted, wait for the LORD! Psalm 27:14

Impatience is not the opposite of waiting. Fear is.

We fear we won't pass the board exam, we cheat.

We fear being late for our appointment, we take the short cut in getting our driver's license.

We fear we won't beat the publication's deadline, we plagiarize.

We are afraid someone else overtakes us or beat us for the promotion, we become complacent, and resigned.

We fear the company we are working for will succumb to the recession, we jumpsuit.

We fear God's plan won't be unveiled; we take matters on our own hands.

We fear his providence won't meet our needs, we rely on our resumes.

We fear his healing is slow, we search for more man-made remedies.

We are afraid change will not happen in one person we love, we give up.

The wait problem is a fear problem. It is because we are afraid and not because we are impatient. We are impatient because we are fearful.

Listen to the psalmist, "Wait for the LORD, take courage; be stouthearted, wait for the LORD!" He is exhorting us to wait and have courage. Be brave and wait for the LORD to act, to show us his plan in reality.

This coming advent may be the opportune time for us to face our wait problem. Jesus will come. God's promises are true. Wait for him. Wait and be not afraid. If you have wait problem, follow the solution - take courage, be brave and wait for the LORD.

Going To The Lost Sheep

Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Matthew 10:6

Recently a beloved sister in community decided to accept a job which would prevent her to attend meetings for six months. And maybe right after attending her first community gathering after the hiatus, she will have to go to another round of six months of "I'm with you spiritually."

In the past, I was the top critic of many brothers and sisters who were going abroad for work or for family reasons. My rationale is that they have everything they need for living in the country and in living in community. Yet, they went. Dubai. Saudi. USA. Australia. Singapore. Canada. London. Netherlands. All over the world.

After experiencing our own family's diaspora, I understood God's plan in making way for his disciples to, "Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." There is a whole world out there that has to be reach. Cultures needed to be conquered. Societies to be simmered. Horizons to be handed to Christ.

Outside the country and the community, men and women have taken the accountability to heed the direction of the Shepherd. Going forth and seek the lost sheep. By God's grace, we have built communities out of the community. God's work is all about expanding His territory and he utilizes his sheep to reach other sheep.

With this, catholic communities are not to be a fenced region. It must be a space without borders where members can go out and reach out, with the guidance of the Shepherd. Communities or churches are enabling the sheep to do this, for this is the place where we get training and formation to go out and pursue the lost.

So, when somebody in community or church decides to go abroad or accepts another job which will keep him out of the community, God must be smiling from ear to ear. For another disciple will fulfill, "Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

Andrew and Emil

As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. Matthew 4:18

Such is Andrew's life. He was one of the first disciples, even earlier than James and John. Yet, I was thinking, was he by-passed in handling more important stuff because he was the brother of the Rock? When they introduce him before people, "Andrew- the brother of Peter." His identity was always with his brother. When they saw him, they saw Peter. When he stands, they see the Rock standing. He has to give up his place as his brother takes the highest place. He has to go below for Peter occupies the uppermost position.

You want to know how Andrew might feel. Ask my brother Emil.

I was serving as the main man of a community of college students and single young professionals at one time. For me to fulfill a service commitment, Emil may have to stay at home to cover for me. He has to step up in my place for house chores when I give a talk in a prayer meeting. He has to shun the limelight as I stand up before people. He has to bear with the tag- "the brother of Edwin".

I'm not saying Emil was not a leadership material or is not gifted or is not faithful. He is actually. Yet, in following the protocols of ascendance, somewhat and somehow he has to be by-passed because he is my brother. In spite all this, he followed faithfully.

And looking back, I am what I am now because of most what I've experienced in those years of ministry because Emil stayed at home. Because Emil descended. Because Emil who supposedly took step ups decided to step down.

You might have an Andrew or an Emil in your life. Thank them. Bless them. Love them. You were first because they were last. You were at the top since they were at the bottom. You stand up, they sat down. You are Peter because he is Andrew.

Servant Master

When he entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully."  He said to him, "I will come and cure him." Matthew 8:5-7

The Master serving his servant.

He calls his servant to do this or to do that. He tells him to go or to stay. The servant waits for the master's hands when to point and where to point. This master directs his servant. The servant serves his master. Yet at this instance, the master serves his servant. The servant is powerless, paralyzed at home. The servant has no comfort, suffering dreadfully. The servant can't stand and can't come. The master comes to his aid, he serves the supposedly serving.  The master thinks more of his servant more than himself.

And he came to Jesus, the ultimate Master. He prayed to him, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully." The Master did not have second or third thoughts on this as he said to him, "I will come and cure him."

Is Jesus familiar with this situation?

He is our Master who is serving his servants. He comes to our aid. When we are powerless and paralyzed, Jesus carries us and walks the way for us. When we are dreadfully suffering, our Master comes to be our comfort and stronghold. 

He gives us the ability to preach his word. He supplies the wisdom to proclaim. He provides the hands to work. He gives us the pen to write. He maintains in us the passionate heart to be committed and consistent. He provides us with the strength to win over temptations so we may be loyal to him. When we are in lack and scarce, he reaches out his hands and provides our needs. He gives us the grace for us to be robust hearted for him. He blesses us with courage in our fear and uncertainty. He is a master who thinks more of his servants. A master who came and comes to our aid.

Jesus is our Master. Yet, he serves us, his servants. He is our Servant Master.