Luke 17 - 9.17.25

Scripture

So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’ (Luke 17:10)

Observation

When we accepted Jesus as our Lord, we became the children of God and also the servants of God. When we became free from sin, we became the servants of God (Rom 6:22). God requires obedience to his commandments from us. In this verse, Jesus reminds us that when we do what we are supposed to do, we shouldn’t applaud ourselves. We should have the attitude that we are unworthy servants, and we have just done our duty.

Obeying God is “reasonable service” expected from us. The Bible tells us to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service (Rom 12:1, KJV). God expects us to be “living sacrifices”. This means choosing to walk in God’s ways and obeying his commandments in thought, word and deed everyday. Jesus said that whoever wants to be His disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Him (Matt 6:24). Taking up our cross means choosing to obey God everyday and every moment, instead of doing what we would naturally want to do. This is a very basic requirement that God has from his children.

Application

We need to remember that we are called to be servants of God. A servant is not above his master (Matt 10:24). As servants we have a duty to obey God and do His will. As Paul said, if we do it voluntarily, we have a reward, and if not voluntarily, we are simply discharging the trust committed to us (1 Cor 9:17).

We are enlisted in God’s army to fulfil His will. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please Him who enlisted him as a soldier (2 Tim 2:4). We need to make it our goal to please Him (2 Cor 5:9).

Prayer

Dear Father, Thank you for making me your child. Help me to remember that I am also your servant, called to do your will. Help me to be obedient to You everyday and every moment of my life. Help me to deny myself, take up my cross and follow You (Mark 8:34). Help me to make it my aim to please You (2 Cor 5:9). Lord, I cannot do this in my own strength. Your grace is sufficient for me, for Your strength is made perfect in my weakness (2 Cor 12:9). I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13). After having done everything You require of me, please help me to have the attitude that you have asked me to have - to think of myself as having just done what was required of me as an unprofitable servant (Luke 17:10). Lord, you are the lifter of my head (Ps 3:3). My exaltation and my promotion comes from You (Ps 75:6,7). I want to please you. Please help me to offer my body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to you everyday of my life, knowing that this is the reasonable service You expect from me (Rom 12:1). In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.

- Asha Chacko George