A life of service – unworthy servants LUKE 17:7-10
Introduction
In Luke 17, we have seen instructions given to disciples.
1-4 : We have seen the warning on not causing others to sin, i.e. not being
a stumbling block. While temptations will always come, the warning is for
those through whom temptations will come. The way we talk, dress, etc.
We need to be mindful and careful in how we live. Those that sin we are
told to rebuke and forgive those ho sin against us so that the unity of saints
can be maintained
5-6: Increase of faith, we need faith to forgive and the presence of faith is
what is important as it can work mightily. It is not the quantity of our faith
but the power of God.
Elder Chisha challenged us that as believers, there is no way we can fail to
forgive our brothers and sisters.
In our passage, the Lord gives us a parable that teaches . What is a life of service?
What does it mean to be a disciple and serve as a slave of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In the passage before us, the Lord Jesus Christs ask a few rhetoric questions on
how a servant or servants were treated. The word used for a servant and a slave
here is doulos which means basically a slave.
A person who had no personal freedom, one whose will was under that of
another. Such persons were forever on duty with no free time or personal
life.
They were owned by the master with no rights of their own.
He gives a very practical situation that the disciples were very familiar with.
They lived in what was called agrarian society or agricultural society were
the economy was based on producing and maintaining crops. In this
parable the Lord refers to plowing and tendering/taking care of sheep. The
Lord Jesus in this parable was speaking to His disciples. He wanted to teach
them on what was expected of them in the kingdom. As we gather this
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morning, the Lord is speaking to us as His disciples so that we can learn on
our attitude as his disciples or slaves of God. In Romans 6:22, the bible tells
us “ Now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God,
you have your fruit to holiness , and the end, everlasting life.
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1. A Servant is duty bound (v 7-8). In the question we see that the Lord was
stressing the nature of life of slaves. Always working and busy doing the
master’s tasks. Do not have their own agenda, he/she is always busy
A servant is expected to do the things that the master wants. It is not
uncommon for women to tell their maids that I know how I want my
home to be cleaned and arranged. When we come across
overzealous servants who question the authority of the owner of the
house.
A slave does not demand for rest. It is the prerogative of the master
to offer rest to the slave. The slave is preoccupied with work with the
question in what ways can I serve my master. I must emphasise here
that we are slaves or servants of the Lord and not of men. I am not
talking about caring someone’s bible and polishing their shoes and
wiping their sweat! No No No!
The servant here is busy with the master’s work. The master commands,
and the servant obeys. After coming from the field, the master demands for
a meal and it is given
A servant is owned by the master
2. A Servants does not seek praise/rewards of the master (v 9)
A servant had no right to expect approval or commendation. When a
servant worked hard and completed a long list of demands, there
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was no expectation of praise, that servant only did what was
expected
No praise for the servant: A servant had to do what pleased his
master regardless of thanks or praise.
Servants do not demand recognition. Whatever that they do is on behalf of
the master.
The servant is not thanked for the work that he does as this is
basically their duty. The servant is given specific instructions by the
master, the duty is to obey the instruction.
He should not look for a time to be appreciated to be thanked. For all
that is done is that which is expected.
The owner of a slave does not become a debtor no matter how much
work the slave does.
God is never our debtor
The slave is not giving the owner anything more than the owner
deserves.
He is not treating the owner with grace by giving him more than he
deserves. So it is with our relationship with God, we can never give
him more than He deserves. Therefore He never owes us thanks. He
does not say thank you to us. He is always giving us more than we
deserve.
I have heard of people who have said things like look at what he or
she did for the church. They never appreciated
Some time we say Lord I have done this and that as though to
suggest that God’s gifts to us are as a result of our positive inputs, we
have done something worth of recognition.
When we have done all that can be done, we have done our pastoral
care, visited, helped, stood with others in difficult times, we should
not expect God to say thank you to us.We have done our task.
3. Servants must recognize that they are ‘unprofitable servants’ (v 10)
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The Lord reflecting on the teaching, interprets the parable by telling his
disciples the attitude that they should have as they go about doing the
work be that of acknowledging that they are unworthy or unprofitable
servants.
V 10, we have done what was our duty to do. No seeking of
recognition or rewards.
We live in a world that believes in self-esteem and the need to
actually look at ourselves in a particular way often leading to pride.
Servants of the Lord must know that they are unworthy
Our service should not have any strings attached. Jesus wants us to
understand what being a servant of God means
A servant responds to God without question as a matter of duty
While in other passages we do find the truth that God rewards
faithful servants, our attitude as we are working should be that on
unprofitable, unworthy servants and any reward in this world will be
but a blessing.
Whether you move mountains, show compassion, give to the poor,
serve others with extraordinary gifts! Remember you are just a
servant, unworthy and has only done but what was our duty.
What is it that you have which you were not given by the Lord?
What is it that you have done has been done in your strength?
Conclusion
Unbelievers
You are either servant of God or that of sin. Unconverted people are slaves to sin.
This means that you basically you do not have personal freedom, you daily live in
sin. You are controlled by sin.
Who do you obey? Are you obeying your daily passions of sin?
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Jesus has the power to break your bondage to sin and set you free to become a
slave of God. John 8:34-36.
You are enslaved by the fear of death Christ cam to overcome - Hebrews 2:14-15
Believers
Our attitude in reference to service is that we are SERVANTS/SLAVES. Are
you living as a servant of the Lord? Who is in charge of your life? Do your
decision confirm to the Lordship of Christ or not?
Are you on duty all the time? Do you free time or personal life away from
the Lord.
We are eternally bound to serve and obey the Lord.
In the passage we have considered, the focus was not on servants but a servant.
This means that if you have ONE servant this servant does all the work for the
master. Look around you, if these people were not here can the work of the Lord
at Nkana East Chapel be accomplished? Are you that servant that can go in the
field, come back, fix a meal for the master and only rest when the work is done?
We should not have a reward mentality. We should serve God for who He is
and because He is worth serving
Service, obedience and duty are not rights we negotiate with God to
exercise. They are an outgrowth of appreciating his act of grace in saving
us, so we bring honor to Him.
If we have been forgiven, why is it difficult for us to serve? Are we aware of
the debt that we owed him and the forgiveness we have received?
Oh Lord help us to be servants! Reorient our priorities, deliver us from the wrong
attitude of servanthood! Oh help us to not look at the applause of men with ears
inclined to hear who speaks well of us! When we do not serve as servants oh
awaken us and we do help us to have a heart of servant hood that acknowledges
that all that we do is just but our duty.
