Unprofitable Servants
Most believers know that Jesus expects us to serve Him in some capacity. Jesus was a servant, and we are to be like Him. In the time of Judgment we will be judged based on the faithfulness of our service and making disciples.(Luke 17:10) I am afraid many believers have an imperfect understanding of the kind of service God is expecting. Let's look at what Jesus said in this verse.
Jesus gives a parable of a servant who comes in from a hard day in the field only to have to fix a meal for his master before he eats. That is what was expected of a servant. That was his duty. Therefore, if all the servant did was what was commanded, he was an unprofitable servant. It might seem harsh to us, but it is Jesus' teaching, and we need to consider it and apply it to our lives, as servants of Christ.
If we fail to do what is commanded of us, we are unfaithful servants. We are disobedient servants. We are failing to even do the minimum that is expected of us. There are no excuses for a servant not to do what is expected and commanded.
If we only do what is commanded and expected of us, we are unprofitable servants. To make a profit is to have excess money. Therefore, when we do our duty, we just "broke even." We did not give extra service or "profit" to our Master.
If we go beyond what is required and we exceed our duty, then, we are a profitable servant of the Lord Jesus. After all, do you think Jesus only did the bare minimum? Do you think He ever failed to do what the Father commanded? No, of course, He gave Himself fully to serving the Father and serving us in His life and in His death. I believe we could say that He did extra every day, and He was a very profitable servant of the Father.
According to this verse what will you have to say to the Lord when you stand before Him? If there is no profit now, what will you do about it? I believe these are urgent questions we must answer between us and the Lord.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Luke 18-21.
Jesus gives a parable of a servant who comes in from a hard day in the field only to have to fix a meal for his master before he eats. That is what was expected of a servant. That was his duty. Therefore, if all the servant did was what was commanded, he was an unprofitable servant. It might seem harsh to us, but it is Jesus' teaching, and we need to consider it and apply it to our lives, as servants of Christ.
If we fail to do what is commanded of us, we are unfaithful servants. We are disobedient servants. We are failing to even do the minimum that is expected of us. There are no excuses for a servant not to do what is expected and commanded.
If we only do what is commanded and expected of us, we are unprofitable servants. To make a profit is to have excess money. Therefore, when we do our duty, we just "broke even." We did not give extra service or "profit" to our Master.
If we go beyond what is required and we exceed our duty, then, we are a profitable servant of the Lord Jesus. After all, do you think Jesus only did the bare minimum? Do you think He ever failed to do what the Father commanded? No, of course, He gave Himself fully to serving the Father and serving us in His life and in His death. I believe we could say that He did extra every day, and He was a very profitable servant of the Father.
According to this verse what will you have to say to the Lord when you stand before Him? If there is no profit now, what will you do about it? I believe these are urgent questions we must answer between us and the Lord.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Luke 18-21.