Genesis 24:15-20: a reflection

15Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder. 16The young lady was very beautiful to look at, a virgin. No man had known her. She went down to the spring, filled her pitcher, and came up. 17The servant ran to meet her, and said, “Please give me a drink, a little water from your pitcher.” 18She said, “Drink, my lord.” She hurried, and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him a drink. 19When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will also draw for your camels, until they have finished drinking.” 20She hurried, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels.

When Abraham's servant, praying for guidance, asks Rebekah for a drink of water, she not only gives him a drink but offers, unasked, to draw water for all his camels too, a task of real labor. I will also draw for your camels, she said, until they have finished drinking; and she hurried, and drew for all his camels. Rebekah did not do only the minimum asked; she went well beyond it, offering generous service that cost her real effort, drawing water again and again until all the camels had drunk. Her readiness to serve generously, beyond what was asked, marked her out. This shows the grace of generous service that goes beyond the minimum, doing more than is strictly asked. Rebekah gave more than was asked, serving generously. Generous service goes beyond the minimum required. She served beyond what was asked, at real cost. Going beyond the minimum in service is a grace.

Notice how Rebekah went beyond what was asked. The servant asked only for a drink of water for himself; that was all. But Rebekah, having given him the drink, offered on her own to draw water for all his camels as well, a considerable labor, drawing and pouring again and again until all the thirsty camels had finished. She did not do the bare minimum and no more; she served generously, going well beyond what was strictly required, at real cost to herself in effort. This is a picture of a generous, willing spirit of service. We can be content to do only the minimum asked of us, no more; but there is a grace in going beyond, in serving generously, in doing more than is strictly required out of a willing and generous heart. Rebekah's readiness to serve beyond the minimum revealed a beautiful character. Jesus too spoke of going the second mile, of generous service that exceeds what is demanded. To serve generously, beyond the minimum, out of a willing heart, is a grace worth cultivating. Generous service goes beyond the bare minimum asked. Do more than the minimum, out of a willing heart. There is grace in going beyond what is strictly required.

That is worth taking to heart, for there is grace in generous service that goes beyond the minimum, doing more than is strictly asked out of a willing heart, as Rebekah offered unasked to draw water for all the camels. We can be content to do only the bare minimum required of us and no more; but Rebekah, asked only for a drink, went well beyond it, drawing water for all the camels at real cost to herself. Generous service exceeds the minimum. Do not settle for doing only the minimum asked; serve generously, going beyond, out of a willing heart, as Rebekah did. Serve generously, going beyond the minimum that is strictly asked, out of a willing heart, as Rebekah, asked by Abraham's servant only for a drink of water, offered on her own to draw water for all his camels as well and hurried to draw again and again until all had finished, a task of real labor; for we can be content to do only the bare minimum required of us and no more, but there is a grace in going beyond, in serving generously and doing more than is strictly demanded out of a willing and generous heart, as Rebekah's readiness to serve beyond the minimum revealed a beautiful character, and as Jesus himself spoke of going the second mile, so that to serve generously beyond what is required is a grace worth cultivating rather than settling for the bare minimum.

Lord, when Abraham's servant, praying for guidance, asks Rebekah for a drink of water, she not only gives him a drink but offers, unasked, to draw water for all his camels too, a task of real labor. I will also draw for your camels, she said, until they have finished drinking; and she hurried, and drew for all his camels. Rebekah did not do only the minimum asked; she went well beyond it, offering generous service that cost her real effort, drawing water again and again until all the camels had drunk. Her readiness to serve generously, beyond what was asked, marked her out. Show me how Rebekah went beyond what was asked. The servant asked only for a drink of water for himself; that was all. But Rebekah, having given him the drink, offered on her own to draw water for all his camels as well, a considerable labor. She did not do the bare minimum and no more; she served generously, going well beyond what was strictly required, at real cost to herself. This is a picture of a generous, willing spirit of service. I can be content to do only the minimum asked of me, no more; but there is a grace in going beyond, in serving generously, in doing more than is strictly required out of a willing and generous heart. Jesus too spoke of going the second mile. Take that to my heart, for there is grace in generous service that goes beyond the minimum. Keep me from settling for doing only the minimum asked; help me serve generously, Lord, going beyond what is strictly required out of a willing heart, as Rebekah offered unasked to draw for all the camels and as Jesus spoke of going the second mile, cultivating a generous spirit of service rather than the bare minimum.