Luke 17:7-10 [We Are Unprofitable Servants]

[Things to Meditate On]

1. Through these words that Jesus spoke to the apostles, we can clearly understand what our position is and what kind of attitude we should have accordingly. As Jesus said, our position is not that of a master, but that of a servant. Therefore, it is only proper that we, as servants, should serve Jesus, who is the Creator. If we do not understand this relationship between the Creator and the creature, then rather than trying to serve Jesus, we will instead try to be served ourselves. But just as a servant must serve his master, we who are creatures must serve Jesus, our Creator. Also, we must serve one another, because Jesus, who is our Lord, personally showed us the example of such service.

John 13:14-15 “14If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.”

Luke 22:27 “For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.”

Matthew 20:26-28 “26...whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 27And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

2. And Jesus said that no household servant can serve two masters. This is because we cannot serve both God and mammon.

Luke 16:13 “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

This word ultimately means that for a servant, there must be only “one master.” Therefore, those who love the world and the things of the world (1 John 2:15-16) cannot fully serve Jesus alone, and must choose between the two. For this reason, Joshua also told the children of Israel in the past to put away all idols and serve “God alone.” This is because the children of Israel likewise could not serve both God and idols.

Joshua 24:14-15 “14Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. 15And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

3. As mentioned earlier, although it is only proper that we, as servants, should serve our one Creator and Master, the Bible points out that people are serving idols and created things more than the Creator (Romans 1:21-25). The Bible also tells us the reason many idols exist among us: it is because people made them “for themselves” (Exodus 20:3-6). Through these words, we can see that, in the end, “because of human desire,” people make idols and commit the sin of serving created things more than the Creator.

Romans 1:21-25 “21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.”

Exodus 20:3-6 “3Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them...”

[Decision and Application]

Now we must not serve idols made “for man,” nor must we serve created things more than the Creator. This is because Jesus, our Lord, alone must be praised forever (Romans 1:25). Therefore, when we serve one another, as the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, we must first serve one another with a careful heart, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed because of us.

1 Timothy 6:1-2 “1Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. 2And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.”

As this passage teaches us, the purpose of serving one another must not be ourselves. Rather, servants are to honor their masters in all things “so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed.” In other words, we are not to serve one another for man’s sake, but we are to serve one another so that the name and doctrine of Jesus may not be blasphemed.

If we serve one another for the sake of people or the things of this world, our hearts may instead lean more toward those things, or we may be hurt by people, or envy and strife may arise. On the other hand, if we serve one another “for Jesus,” then each person has done it for Jesus, and therefore we need not be hurt or offended because of people. Even if a heart of stumbling arises, we will soon turn back and look only to Jesus again. This is because our service was not done for man, but for Jesus. Therefore, in serving one another, we must never make people or the things of this world our purpose, but must serve one another only for the name of Jesus.

Finally, even if we have done all that we were commanded, we must always remain humble. This is because, according to the words of Jesus, we are not masters, but servants (verses 9-10). As servants, we have simply done the work given to us, and therefore we are in no position to put forward anything about what we have done. Later, if the master recognizes and praises it, then what was done will become glory to the servant. But if the master regards it as nothing, then it simply becomes nothing at all. Thankfully, Jesus, who is our Master, will repay each person according to what he has done in righteousness and justice (Matthew 16:27). Therefore, we must not try to boast in the things we have done, and still less should we seek to gain profit from them. We only need to devote ourselves, as servants, to serving Jesus our Master and serving one another—so that the name and doctrine of Jesus may not be blasphemed—and to the things that make for peace and the things by which one may edify another (Romans 14:17-21). Therefore, as Jesus told His disciples, if we also know and do the truth that “the servant is not greater than his lord,” we will be blessed.

John 13:16-17 “16Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. 17If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”

Ephesians 6:5-8 “5Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; 6Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 7With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: 8Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.”

Amen.