Luke 17:7-10 (Unworthy Servants)
UNWORTHY SERVANTS - "Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty’" (Luke 17:7-10).
Expectations. Entitlement. These are words that should invoke great fear and trembling within the heart of a Christian. The concepts are pervasive throughout our culture yet in the church we are universally susceptible to failure in these areas. The simple truth, though, is that while God does NOT need us, we DO need him and are thus indebted to Christ for the honor and privilege of serving Him.
Christ's teaching here is profound. While it appears cold and callous on the outside, it drives home a deeper message that centers around our elevation of self over God. In its most simplistic form, Christ is teaching the first of the ten commandments God gave Moses on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 20) and admonishing "self" idolatry.
I find myself incredibly fatigued by the enormity of how vulnerable I have made myself in accordance with this teaching. It seems I have fallen prey to a universal epidemic that has spread across practically every area of my life. My flesh feeds upon recognition and acknowledgement while my soul fights to humble itself by not seeking praise.
Compounded by what Dr. Gary Chapman would classify as a "words of affirmation" love language, I am prone to seek verbal confirmation for the things I do and say regardless of their merit. Words seem to validate who I am, but I am determined to destroy this fleshly sin in my life before it wreaks greater havoc.
Yet while I am thankful God has revealed my superficial desires for acknowledgement, affirmation and recognition concerning my labor and efforts throughout my life, I am convinced Jesus is not merely addressing a surface level understanding in Luke 17:7-10. Rather, He is exposing how misunderstood our relationship with the Father has become because of our prideful arrogance and independence.
Christ has declared, "But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first" (Revelation 2:4), and I believe that love we initially had when we surrendered our lives to Christ has shifted to a love of self which demands tangible value rather than discovers spiritual value by serving our gracious and merciful Creator.
It has taken me over 5 months to compose a new post which is by far the longest period of silence I have had since beginning blogging in September, 2009.
Various Scripture passages have come to mind over that time and I have wrestled repeatedly with whether the Holy Spirit was prompting me to study deeper, but I have been drawn to this passage in particular by the Holy Spirit and I am beginning to see why.
Simply put, I have come to terms as I’ve wrestled with this passage that the reason this truth is hard to swallow is because it inevitably speaks to man's desire for meaning, value and purpose to his life.
Look no further than the total sales of Rick Warren's book, "The Purpose Driven Life," as evidence of man's insatiable desire to answer this question. We crave an identity that has value, and to our destruction we predominately seek value in almost everything under the sun rather than Jesus Christ.
Christ himself said plainly, "For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?" (Luke 9:25). In other words, if a man seeks fulfillment in any other fashion than in the sanctifying grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, he has forfeited the very essence of who he is.
The apostle Paul put it this way, "You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men" (1 Corinthians 7:23). Therefore, put aside all stumbling blocks which seek to ensnare your mind, body, heart and soul. Embrace your new identity in Christ and cast off your desire for man's approval, morals and standards.
"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).
The quicker we begin to recognize the state we’ve placed ourselves in and the enemy's schemes set to ensnare and destroy us, the more apt we are to take advantage of the way of escape God provides through every trial and temptation. For as Paul reminds us, "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).
In order to seek victory though, we must come to terms with this question: In whom or what do I find my value/meaning/purpose?
Now before addressing this question, it is worth mentioning that the mere audacity of asking such a question is self-serving and self-elevating. For who can stand before an almighty God and declare that his life is his own?
"But you, you are to be feared! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused?" (Psalm 76:7).
Therefore, what value we have is not our own. It has been graciously given to us by our Father in Heaven who loves us with patience which surpasses all understanding. And if we have been bought with a price for the redemption of our sins, what right do we have to even think we have any value at all apart from Christ?
Our only value is that which God the Father graciously gives us in and through Christ. Unfortunately though, we do seek to find our value in the things of this world and that is the underlying theme Jesus is addressing in Luke 17:7-10. Praise God that He has given us His Word, the Bible, as our only compass to direct us in the way of righteousness and warn us of potential dangers known as sin.
Make no mistake, the Bible without question is the most difficult book to morally and ethically accept which has ever been written. It declares itself as such without hesitation.
"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).
Moreover, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness," (2 Timothy 3:16) therefore we cannot devalue it based upon its authorship. It is not man's words, but the Spirit's teaching.
Honestly speaking, though, we pick and choose what we LIKE to hear from the Bible rather than what we NEED to hear.
Like a spiritual buffet, we tend to consume the things that taste good to us and decline reading passages that call out or cast a shining light of conviction on the sins we knowingly participate in. We would rather place a hierarchical division upon our sins, devaluing those that cast a magnifying glass upon the sick condition of our hearts.
We emphatically choose not to relinquish our sinful behavior because we find our safety and security in their superficial byproduct of self-worth. Abandoning and surrendering them to the cross of Christ presents a tremendous weight of anxiety upon our hearts because we literally think we cannot survive without them.
They are our self-imposed haven of refuge, but God is graciously calling us to abandon self-help and place our hope in Him and Him alone. Therefore, we must call a spade a spade and not justify what the Bible clearly states as sinful behavior, lest we drive ourselves deeper into a post-modernistic pit of man-made religion.
"And he said, 'What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person'" (Mark 7:20-23).
"Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy" (Romans 13:13).
"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
"But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death" (Revelation 21:8).
These are simply a few examples of the myriad of Scripture passages that warn of sinful behavior (i.e. unrighteousness). Therefore in response, let us now resist the urge to sugar-coat or justify these sins as anything but what God's Word declares. Let us abandon our desire to mock Scripture by blame-shifting our sins on others or justifying them in any way.
Through Adam we were born into sin and consequently we choose to sin and therefore must be willing to bear the responsibility of our actions that come as a result. But we must direct our attention to the fact that if we hold firm to the sins that ensnare and ultimately destroy us, we pledge allegiance to a false sense of value and self-worth and thus will never understand the mystery of Christ's teaching in Luke 17:7-10.
Eternal value comes only through Jesus who once declared, "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" (Matthew 6:26). We need not fear as we grind our way through life this side of heaven that we have been forgotten.
We have eternal value to the Father, but it is conditionally based on whether we trust in ourselves and thus live our lives in self-idolatry or choose to surrender all and live in thanksgiving and obedience to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The entire Gospel message boils down to this decision and it is one that need not be taken lightly. We can find peace in knowing we have value in our lives, but it must be taken in context and perspective through Holy Scripture with the understanding that we are unworthy servants willingly doing what we have been commanded by Christ.
The key to breaking strongholds that give false testimony of self-worth in our lives is to admit we have no power or control over sin and death and relinquish our sinful, fleshly desires that declare we are owed something.
For if we truly received recognition for the choices we have made in our lives, we would not be able to celebrate our achievements because we would have already received the just punishment for our sins that preceded our self-declared, glorious achievements.
Make no mistake, "The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:16). Therefore we can approach the throne of grace with confidence because we know through grace by faith "that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ...because by works of the law no one will be justified" (Galatians 2:16).
My prayer is that as I daily surrender my prideful arrogance, selfishness, and negative attitudes of expectation and entitlement, the Word of God would wash over my selfish heart and remind me that He is sufficient for all my needs, including my desire of value, purpose and meaning in His eyes. Yet in Christ, He has already promised that to me.
"Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows" (Luke 12:7).
Universally, all who claim the cross of Christ for salvation can rest peacefully in that assurance, "Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God" (2 Corinthians 3:5). We simply must humble ourselves in repentance and obedience, and hold firm to the words of Paul as our reverent prayer unto God.
"But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24).
Only then will we find victory over sin and death and live with an assurance of value, meaning and purpose that gives eternal peace and transcends all logical understanding.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on March 15, 2011 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
