He Was Not Self-Centered

“Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?” She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah. We have plenty of both straw and fodder, and room to spend the night.” The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord and said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my master’s kinsmen.”   Genesis 24:23-27

For the most part, we are consumed with ourselves.  Any passion we feel about life has to do with something that directly affects us or our family.  It goes against our nature to fight self-centeredness.  I don’t recall getting something I really wanted as a child and willingly offering it to someone else instead.  I’m sure I clutched it to myself and said, “Mine!” 

What strikes me today about Eleazar is the spontaneous burst of praise that erupted when God confirmed that Rebekah was His choice for Isaac.  Though Isaac was not Eleazar’s own child, he was so elated for his master that he stopped to worship.  It would have been easy to check this mission off his list.

How many people am I this invested in?  Jesus defined discipleship as this:  believing on Him, picking up our cross, then loving His Father and loving others. “No greater love hath any man than this, that he lay down his life for his friend.”  Eleazar’s whole life revolved around serving Abraham.  It was not done begrudgingly ~ as evidenced by this specific part of the story.  Playing a part in the covenant promise to Abraham and his line of descendants was a high priority and he proved it when he set off on an arduous journey, followed by making a high-stakes choice of a bride for the next patriarch.  Amid this difficult mission, he celebrated as if the success had benefitted him personally.  What love and devotion in action!

Change my selfish heart.   Amen