Unworthy Servants
Luke 17:7-10
Prior to entering the pastorate, I worked in management in the road construction industry. The work was hard, the hours were long, and for most, the pay was minimal. Quite often we would hire new employees and they would not make it through their first week on the job. In fact, there were some who went to lunch on their first day and never returned. Those who did endure the difficult working conditions and the long hours regularly complained about the hourly wage, the cost of health insurance and the lack of vacation time. However, they received exactly what they agreed upon when they accepted the position with our company.
I think many of the problems that we experienced when it came to finding and keeping employees was directly related to the entitlement society that we live in. Many people want money, food, houses, cars, clothes & healthcare, but what they don’t want is a job. Much of the blame for this entitlement mindset can be placed at the feet of our own government, because they provide so many able-bodied people with many of their wants and needs without requiring anything in return.
While some have an entitlement mindset concerning government programs, many others have a similar mentality when it comes to the Kingdom of God. Some think that their labors will gain them entrance into the eternal Kingdom of God. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that this is not possible!
There are also multitudes of genuine believers who believe that the Lord owes them something because of their service to Him. It is imperative that we realize that we have already received far more from the Lord than we could ever deserve. Even if you were to do everything that your Master has called and commanded you to do, at the end of the day you have merely done your duty.
- I would like to examine the truths that are revealed in Luke 17:7-10 and consider the subject “Unworthy Servants”.
In the preceding verses, Jesus said to His Disciples, “If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” (v3b-5)
The truth in this passage is clear, if someone sins against us and then repents, forgiveness is not an option. Even if that person commits the same sin against us again, if they repent, we are still required to forgive. The Lord goes on to say, “Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” We are not allowed to put limits on the forgiveness that we extend to others.
Certainly, this is a hard saying. It is difficult for us to accept, and the Disciples struggled with it as well. After receiving this admonition, they “said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”. Their estimation was that if they were required to extend such forgiveness, they would need more faith than they currently possessed. In response, Jesus said that if they had “faith the size of a mustard seed, (they could) say to a mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it (would) obey (them). There is certainly a measure of hyperbole in His statement, but Jesus’ point was that it does not take a great measure of faith to forgive those who sin against you.
Following this, Jesus gave a parable to His disciples concerning a certain landowner who had a slave that was responsible for a variety of duties. The slave had been laboring behind a beast of burden all day, plowing the hard soil and planting seeds. On top of this, he also had to care for his master’s livestock. Then, after a full day of hard labor, he entered the house and was instructed to clean himself up, change his clothes, and prepare supper. Though he most certainly wanted to pause and relax for a moment, there was still work to be done. On top of this, Jesus says that the master did not even thank his servant for all that he had done. Why? Because he had merely done what was required of him.
To fully comprehend this illustration we must remember that a slave is one who is his master’s purchased property, and it is his responsibility to serve him faithfully. It does not matter what a slave wants or thinks he deserves, what matters is that his master’s commands are obeyed, and his wants are satisfied.
After presenting this parable, Jesus looked at His disciples and said, “So you also, when you have done everything commanded of you, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty”. If the Disciples were obedient concerning all the commands given by their Master, they should not expect to be commended or rewarded, for they had merely done what was expected of them. The same is true for us, Jesus is our Master, and we are His slaves. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. Certainly, we should live each day seeking to glorify God, however when we do this, all we have done is our duty. If we forgive others completely, if we obey God faithfully, if we serve Him fervently, if we worship Him passionately, the fact remains that He owes us nothing!
It is not possible, but if we were able to live in sinless perfection and obey every command that has been given “we are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty”. Without question, we should pursue holiness, for God says numerous times in the Bible “Be holy, for I am holy”. However, if we were able to live in perfect holiness we would still have no hope of earning God’s favor. It is not possible for anyone to do anything that would earn their entrance in to God’s Kingdom. Our only hope of entering in the Kingdom is because of the finished work of Jesus Christ. Never forget that redemption is by grace and grace alone.
R.C Sproul said “There is only one thing that I can place before God that is, properly speaking, my own (and that is) my sin. The only thing that can redeem me is not my work, but the work that Christ has performed on my behalf. He freely came to do the Father's will and to submit Himself to the law for our sake. He, and He alone, is a profitable servant.”
Even on our best day, we are unworthy and unprofitable servants; Jesus is the worthy and profitable one!
In this teaching, Jesus is not implying that our service to Him is of no value. Furthermore, there are ample passages that speak of the reality that we have been and will be rewarded by our Lord. This very passage indicates that there are future rewards that will be provided by the Master. The master said to the slave, ‘Prepare my meal and dress yourself to serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink’?
Though we are expected to faithfully serve our Master, a day is coming when we will enter into our eternal reward. Time does not permit us to cover everything we received from Christ in salvation. Nor can we plumb the depths of the eternal rewards that are assured to those who belong to the Lord Jesus. However, these rewards are a direct result of His grace, not a payment for service that we have rendered to Him.
There is no deed that we can do that is not something that God requires of us. Moreover, when we accomplish anything productive or profitable for the Kingdom, it is only because He is working in and through us. Truly, we are unworthy servants, and when we have faithfully obeyed our Master, we have only done our duty!
If we serve in an effort to earn our way into the kingdom of God, or in some attempt to gain some present or future reward, we are wasting our time. Our supreme motivation for serving God should be our love for Him. We serve not to earn salvation, but because Christ already has purchased salvation for us. The master owed His slave no thanks, and God owes us nothing.
The landowner in Jesus’ parable was not exceedingly wealthy, for only had one slave. That lone slave was expected to feed the livestock, plow the field, plant seeds, reap the harvest, clean the house, prepare meals, set the table, and ensure his master was fed. Whatever the master demanded from him, he had to comply, there was no other option. This man must have been completely exhausted after all that he had done. A word of thanks from his master would have been encouraging & refreshing, but he didn’t even get a “thank you.”
Have you ever felt like God owes you something for what you have done for Him? Many have the mistaken idea that God has some cosmic balance sheet and if they do good, they will be rewarded for their efforts. The truth is, we do not have the ability do anything good apart from Him. God doesn’t owe us a single thing; but as we have seen, there is ample evidence that our benevolent Master does graciously reward faithful service. Knowing this, we should be honored to have the opportunity to serve Him in any capacity.
At some point in the past, the slave in this passage had been purchased by his master. He was expected to serve him, not for what he would receive in return, but because of who he was.
We are slaves who have been purchased at a great price by our Master in Heaven. He desires, demands, and deserves our steadfast obedience. We should serve Him, not merely out of obligation but also out of adoration. We must never lose sight of the fact that we are unworthy servants of a benevolent Master!
Are you serving the Lord faithfully, obediently, and completely? Are you willing to accomplish the tasks that your Master has assigned to you? Are you humbled by the reality that you have been bought at a great price? Do you serve out of a genuine love for the Lord, or mere obligation? Will you remain faithful in your service even when it appears that there is no thanks or praise involved? Will you be steadfast even when you do not receive the rewards that you think you deserve?
We belong to the one who went to Calvary and laid down His life to purchase our redemption. He is more than worthy to receive any and all service that we could render to Him. May we keep the proper perspective, serve Him to the best of our ability, and when the say is done let us say “We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
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