Introduction
There are many believers in the Lord Jesus who profess their faith in various ways, which may be different from ours. We may look at them and not understand how the Lord views them, but we must search our own hearts. Some of us may have grown up in Christian families and attended church our whole lives, feeling that this is simply our way of life. We might believe that we should attend church because that is what we have always done, just like our parents and grandparents did. Attending church and gathering with other believers is a vital duty for the true followers of the Lord Jesus. However, it is important that when we attend church, we do so for the Lord, rather than for the people around us, for the family, or because a well-known speaker or pastor is delivering the message. Moreover, while worshiping together, we must avoid feelings of bitterness or jealousy toward anyone and instead rejoice that the Lord brings people together to offer their praises to Him. We must recognize the Lord’s hand in gathering people to praise Him, and we must be joyful and happy that we are part of praising Him. The overall message of this blog article is that we should not fulfill our duty towards the Lord out of obligation or feeling forced, due to some tradition, environment, or parental influence, or simply for entertainment. We must do our duty to the Lord from our hearts, and because we love the Lord for what He did for us, and we are glad to serve Him in whatever capacity we can. And for this, we need a humble heart in serving the Lord.
The Teaching of the Servant Returning from the Field
In Luke 17:5-10, the disciples ask the Lord Jesus to increase their faith. In response, He shares the parable of the mustard seed and teaches about a servant returning from working in the fields for their master. Through this teaching, the Lord Jesus emphasizes the importance of knowing our true position and remaining humble. As we reflect on this Bible passage, we can draw meaningful conclusions about what it means to be a worthy versus an unworthy servant.
Luke 17:5 And the apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith.
Comments Luke 17:5. This verse clearly states that these are the apostles who have been with the Lord, have seen miracles, have heard the Living Word, and are still asking the Lord of Life to increase their faith. For all who come after them, who have not seen the Lord, it will be harder to have faith, but still, remember to go to the foot of the cross and ask for faith, as the apostles have done in the past.
6 And the Lord said, If you had faith like a grain of mustard, you would have said to this mulberry tree, Be uprooted, and be planted in the sea; and it would have obeyed you.
Comments Luke 17:6. “If you had faith like a grain of mustard.” As a human, if the Lord has told you in this verse that if your faith is as small as a seed of a plant, how small do you think your faith is like? Think about your faith first before you judge someone else’s faith; the people you judge may have a faith even bigger than yours.
“You would have said …” As the verse says, small faith can work a great thing as well, even to send another seed or another plant to be planted into the sea. And that thing had obeyed your word because you had said it with faith, and you did not test the Lord when you said it, but you said it with faith in the Lord that what you said would happen, in order to prove to people that you serve the Living God. This kind of action appears to be testing God, but it is not; it is proof to unbelievers that you have faith in your God, that this thing can happen, and to let them see the result. The Lord teaches us figuratively that great things can happen even when you have little faith.
See also, Comments Matthew 17:20.
7 But which of you, having a servant plowing or keeping sheep, having come in from the field will say to him, Come straightaway and recline;
8 but will not he say to him, Make ready what I may eat, and gird yourself, and serve me, until I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink?
Comments Luke 17:7-8. In these verses, the Lord wants to teach all readers that everyone should know their own position. Also, everyone should put first the one who is important in their life. Everyone must put the Lord their God first, and after that their parents, whom the Lord has used in creating you to be alive. Then you must also think of your duties. Your first duty is always to serve the Lord your God, then after that, serve other responsibilities that God has given you.
9 Does he thank the servant because he did the things that were commanded?
Comments Luke 17:9. Let the reader understand: when the Lord has put something in your heart, do it accordingly and give thanks to the Lord that He has given you that duty. Even if that duty is very, very small, if you do it, it becomes big in the eyes of the Lord Himself.
10 So you also, when you may have done all the things having been commanded you, say, We are unworthy servants; we have done that which it was our duty to do.
Comments Luke 17:10. “So you also, when you may have done all the things having been commanded you.” The first thing the Lord wants to see is: are you listening and obeying His commandments, not just a portion of them, but all of them? Regardless of what the commandment is, consider it as a duty that you must fulfill because that is what the Lord expects you to do.
“Say, We are unworthy servants; we have done that which it was our duty to do.” According to the verse itself, the Lord wants all readers to realize that to be a servant of the Lord, you must humble yourself, do not think that you are better than others, do your duty as a good servant of the Lord, and all the rewards will be waiting. In this verse, the person wishes to do but does not; that is why we use the term “you must humble yourself.” Desire and ability are different, and here, you do as the Lord gives you the ability to do. This servant thought he did not have enough worth. That is why he only does what he was ordered to do, but if you think that you are not worthy of doing the work, then you have put the Lord on the wrong side for giving you a duty that you are not able to do; the Lord knows your ability as well. To do work for the Lord and not gain benefit for themselves, this also makes the servants not want to work more than they think is their duty. When you are serving the Lord, you must do all the work that the Lord has given you the ability to do, even if you do more work than what you have received, but you also have received the ability to do it. If you seek to do all the work the Lord has given you, the Lord will also give you joy and the ability to do it. Sometimes, you may do more than you think you should, but that is to glorify the Lord.
“We are unworthy servants.” Here, we can ask whether the servants, when saying, “we are unworthy,” refer to their unworthiness to their master or to themselves. The meaning here is that the servants say that they are unworthy to themselves; they will not gain anything for doing what they are commanded to do. They think that if they just follow orders, then it will not bring worth to themselves. In order to understand this parable, the mind of the servant in the parable coming from the field needs to be related to the mind of a Christian serving the Lord. The Lord wants us to humble ourselves and do all His commandments first from our hearts, not just do the commandments mechanically as a duty, and think that there is no worth to serving the Lord because we do not have any earthly benefits.
Conclusions
In conclusion, to be a worthy servant of the Lord Jesus, we must understand our position in relation to God. In heaven, there is no disagreement from below to above; all must accept the authority of the master (see Comments Matthew 20:9). We must humble ourselves, give Him the glory and honor He deserves, and put Him first in our lives. We cannot command the Lord to do what we want; instead, we must be humble and ask Him to show His mercy toward us. Our faith must be in the Lord Jesus, being the Son of God, who came down from heaven to give His life on the cross for the sins of the world, was buried in the tomb, and rose on the third day out of the dead. These should be the only miracles (Matthew 12:39) necessary to fuel our faith in the Trinity of God: God the Father, God the Son (the Lord Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit. Additionally, we must take responsibility for all the services He has entrusted to us. We should believe that we are worthy in the sight of the Lord, as He empowers us to accomplish everything that He calls us to do, and even more than we see ourselves capable, since it is the Lord God Almighty who gives us the strength. We must undertake the tasks He places in our hearts, starting with obeying all His commandments, being humble toward God and others. Our work is for the Lord, not for our personal gain, but for His glory. Ultimately, we must serve our Lord from our hearts, not out of obligation, as that is what He desires from us.
Meditation Tasks
- We encourage all readers to meditate on what it means to be faithful disciples of the Lord Jesus. Additionally, you are encouraged to read our article titled “Teachings on How to Be a Disciple of the Lord Jesus” and “Who is Your God?”