We went to dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants. The food is usually great there and the service is prompt. But this particular night was different.
We had ordered our food a long time ago and it still hadn’t arrived. An older couple sitting at the next table was also waiting, and they had been there longer than we had. Our server came by every few minutes to check on us, but still no food.
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Finally, the man at the other table ran out of patience. The next time the server came by he gave her an angry earful, loud enough for all to hear. He berated her for the long delay and swore he and his wife would never come again.
The server could only apologize. She didn’t throw anybody under the bus. She didn’t blame the cooks. She didn’t say somebody had called in sick. She took the blame.
I felt sorry for her. It wasn’t her fault. She wasn’t cooking. She could only turn in the order. But she was the one who had to take the public embarrassment and verbal abuse; she didn’t deserve it. She had done her best to meet our needs.
Ultimate sacrifice
It occurred to me that if I felt that much empathy for this server, how much more should we feel for Jesus? He took the blame for the sins of mankind, despite living a sinless life and doing His best to meet the needs of others.
We all know that famous verse, John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, He gave His only son, so that whoever believes in Him would not be lost, but would have eternal life.”
None of us likes to be blamed for the faults of others, much less have to atone for them. It is the ultimate act of humility and sacrifice. In a world where people love to point fingers and assign blame, blessed are those who show mercy and grace.
Our food eventually came. The server apologized profusely for the long wait. We smiled and reassured her it was no problem, and I left her a bigger tip than usual. Seemed like the least I could do to show appreciation for her poise and self-control.
How much more could we do to show the same appreciation for Jesus?
EDITOR’S NOTE — Ken Lass is a retired Birmingham television news and sports anchor and an award-winning columnist for numerous publications and websites.
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