Using the setting of a man with a servant Jesus gives us a lesson on faithful, humble service in Luke 17 7-10. The servant goes to the field to till the soil or tend the cattle, when he returns to his master’s house does his master say, “Come at once and sit down to eat?” No, he is a servant and his work is not finished; rather his master says, “Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself (a term associated with an athlete that would tuck his long robes into his belt so as not to be hindered by them) and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink”. We must lay aside every fleshly desire, every selfish ambition, and everything else that would impede our service to the Master. Jesus then asks if the master would thank the servant for doing what he was commanded to do, and then answers His own question saying “I think not” or I don’t think so! Even when the servant had done all that he had been commanded to do, his master was not obligated to even thank him. While God does reward faithful service, see Matthew 25:21-23, Luke 12:42-44, Revelation 2:10, just keeping His commands does not put Him under obligation to us, remember we belong to Him and while He calls us friends not servants, John 15:15, we serve Him out of love for what He has already done for us! So He concludes the parable in verse 10 by saying, “…when you have done all these things which are commanded, say, We are unprofitable (undeserving, unmeritorious) servants, We have done what was our duty to do.” He does not need us for profit, but we sure do need Him; we do not merit or deserve His benefits, but He gives them out of love, mercy, and grace! He owes us nothing; we owe Him everything.
Faithful, humble service
Poem by Rose Hill
It is our duty our Master to serve,
Of all His benefits we don’t deserve.
So faithful service we need to give,
As all our lives for Him we live.
Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version copyright …1982 by Thomas Nelson Co. used by permission.