As I sit here on my bus at an athletic event, I praise You Father for getting us here safely. May each participant in tonight’s game do their best and injuries be few and better yet nonexistent! Amen.
Luke 17:7-10 (<<click here to read the passage)
One of the frustrating things that little by little became the mindset of where I worked in retail was the overarching importance of getting people to open charge accounts. I understand that it generates a huge amount of income but while it benefits the company, in many instances it does not benefit the customer. Yes, they get all their discounts but that was a pittance compared to the interest paid out each and every month! (That is a soapbox for another time!)
My main point in bringing it up is that before I left it got to the point that as long as an associate could generate credit, nothing else mattered. They could accomplish it by just about any means, ethical or not, and higher-ups would look the other way. It was disgusting! Earlier in my career, credit was important and there were incentives for getting it but most of the time, it was just considered part of your job. Even people who were in departments and not on registers were expected to get their share…because it was part of the job! If we got credit we were merely doing what we were supposed to do.
Initially reading through today’s passage it almost sounds offensive. Verses 9-10 state,
He does not thank the servant just because he did what he was ordered to do, does he? So you too, when you have done everything that was assigned and commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants [undeserving of praise or a reward, for we have not gone beyond our obligation]; we have merely done what we ought to do.’”
Our culture has conditioned us to expect praise and reward for just about anything we do, regardless of whether its part of the job or not. Too many people struggle with commitment in many areas if they are not constantly being commended for a job well done with all the perks expected as well.
The note from my study Bible* says,
If we have obeyed God, we have only done our duty, and we should regard it as a privilege. Do you sometimes feel you deserve extra credit for serving God? Remember, obedience is not something extra we do; it is our duty. Jesus is not suggesting that our service is meaningless and useless, nor is he advocating doing away with rewards. He is attacking unwarranted self-esteem and spiritual pride.
Ouch! That smarts a little! There are times when service to God can really wear on us. We get down and consider giving up because we’re not getting the strokes we think we deserve.
As I am typing a comparison comes to mind. Jesus has already gone above and beyond to give us the opportunity to join Him for eternity. Broken body…spilled blood, hanging on a cruel cross…all for me…all for you.
The next time a pity party wants to get started, think on that and proclaim,
“We are unworthy servants [undeserving of praise or a reward, for we have not gone beyond our obligation]; we have merely done what we ought to do.”
Oct 6th, 2020, Tues, 6:32 pm
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
