When I was in college, I attended one of our nation’s military service academies. Naturally, we studied our nation’s heroes. All the buildings on campus were named after such men. These men had shown extraordinary courage in the face of danger during our country’s wars.

As cadets, we were incredibly busy. We went to class, took exams, and kept busy with military responsibilities. As young men, we were prone not to notice people around us who did not stand out in some way that was of interest to us. One such person was a janitor who cleaned the common areas of our dorm. He was a lot older than we were, and his age was beginning to catch up with him.

We barely knew he was there. We took for granted the things he did for us, such as cleaning the toilets in our common restrooms. He emptied our trash and buffed the floors of the hallways. Most of us would have had a hard time recalling his name, even though we saw him five days a week.

Which of us could have known that he was the greatest military hero we had ever been around? He had been the recipient of our nation’s highest military award years ago because of heroic things he had done during World War II. Most of us had never personally met somebody who had received the Medal of Honor. How could we have even conceived of the guy sweeping our floors as being a recipient?

One night, a classmate was reading in a military journal about the exploits of a great hero in our nation’s fight against the Nazis. A light went on in his head: This hero had the same name as our janitor. What a coincidence. The janitor and this hero would be about the same age. Over a couple of days, he put two and two together. He approached our janitor and asked him if he was the same guy. The janitor said, “Yes. But that was a long time ago.”

Needless to say, our janitor’s life changed dramatically after that knowledge came to light. He became the honored guest at all our military functions. But one such function stands out.

At one of the academy’s graduation ceremonies, President Ronald Reagan delivered the address. At one point, he called our janitor to join him on the podium. Because he had been a prisoner of war at the time he was awarded the Medal of Honor, our janitor did not receive the medal in person. The award had been given to his father. Forty years after the janitor’s heroic deeds, the President of the United States rectified that situation. “Come up here,” the president said. He had the man’s deeds read publicly, before a packed football stadium. The president then hung the award around the hero’s neck.

It is difficult to hear that story without thinking about the Lord’s words in Luke 14:7-11. In a little parable, the Lord warns us about being too arrogant. It is better to assume a lowly position and have a person of power and authority elevate you. Jesus says to assume a humble seat and let the owner of the house invite you to come up to a higher one.

Our janitor did just that. He took a lowly seat. He did not toot his own horn. He did not demand that people honor him for what he had done, even though he had saved the lives of many American soldiers. He certainly deserved honor and recognition, but was not resentful that those around him did not give it to him. The most powerful man in the nation, however, called him up to give him what he deserved.

It makes us wonder what it will be like at the Judgment Seat of Christ, doesn’t it? How many people like our janitor will there be? The Lord tells us to humbly serve Him and others. It doesn’t matter if those around us do not take notice. If we are faithful in serving, He will call us up to receive recognition from Him.

Lord, make us humble servants. In doing so, may we be found worthy to hear you say to us, “Come up here.”