Unworthy Servants

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!