“Would any one of you say to your slave who comes in from the field after plowing or shepherding sheep, ‘Come at once and sit down for a meal?’ Won’t the master instead say to him, ‘Get my dinner ready, and make yourself ready to serve me while I eat and drink. Then you may eat and drink?’ He won’t thank the slave because he did what he was told, will he? So you too, when you have done everything you were commanded to do, should say, ‘We are slaves undeserving of special praise; we have only done what was our duty.’” —Luke 17:7–10
Here Jesus teaches His disciples about their responsibility towards service for His kingdom. We are not to expect special praise for doing those things we have been given by God to accomplish! A servant receives no added praise from his master for simply doing his work. He receives his wages for his work. Likewise, as God’s servants, we too have certain responsibilities.
“Sometime after 1950 we forgot what Jesus said to Peter and what was passed on to us. ‘Take care of my sheep’ (John 21:16). There are ferocious wolves (Matthew 7:15). ‘You are to be a witness to the ends of the Earth’ (Acts 1:8). This is a commission that still holds true today. This is a very personal command to each believer, personally, privately. The all-important question is whether you are getting out the work of God, or have you retired?” —Wales Goebel
In Matthew, Jesus makes this same point in the Parable of the Talents:
“But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” —Matthew 25:26–30
We certainly do not want to be a worthless servant thrown out into the darkness! It is God’s desire for us to bring forth fruit from the gifts and talents He has given us. We are held accountable for what we have received.
“Now what is sought in stewards is that one be found faithful.” —1 Corinthians 4:2
“So then whether we are alive or away, we make it our ambition to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil.” —2 Corinthians 5:9–10
Paul’s goal was to hear “Well done, good and faithful servant” from the lips of the Savior upon his entrance into the heaven.
“This perspective on a day of judgment and the prospect of eternity had a salutary effect on Paul. It enabled him to persevere in the face of hardship (2 Corinthians 4:7–12). And it motivated him to be faithful in discharging his ministry (1 Corinthians 4:2–4).” — The Bible Knowledge Commentary
Take It to Heart
“We must remember that God will never drag us along the path of true-hearted discipleship. This would greatly lack the moral Excellency which characterizes all the ways of God. He does not drag, but draws us along the path which leads to ineffable blessedness in Himself; and if we do see that it is for our real advantage to break through all the barriers of nature, in order to respond to Gods’ call, we forsake our own mercies. But alas! Our hearts little enter into this. We begin to calculate about the sacrifices, the hindrances, and the difficulties, instead of bounding along the path, in eagerness of soul, as knowing and loving the One whose call has sounded in our ears.” —C. H. Macintosh, Notes on Deuteronomy
“The truth and beauty of the gospel expose our idol-myths as feeble substitutes and garish counterfeits. And the power of the gospel enables us to break free from their enslaving and destructive grasp. Indeed, as our deliverer and liberator, Jesus is freeing us for the great adventure of living as characters in and carriers of God’s archetypal Story of all stories. It’s like being taken from starring in your own self produced, 8 mm black and white home movies to playing one of the hobbits in the grand production of The Return of the King.” —Scotty Smith, Restoring Broken Things
Further Reflections
“We are all God’s servants. Our whole strength and our whole time are to be used for him.” —Matthew Henry
“None shall be called to an account for more than they have received; but for what we have, we must all account.” —Matthew Henry