Unworthy Servants

"Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come immediately and sit down to eat'? "But will he not say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink'? "He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? "So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.'" ~ Luke 17:7-10

John Macarthur writes: The point of this parable was that a servant should expect no special reward for doing what was his duty in the first place. The demanding standards Christ set (Luk_17:1-4) may have seemed too high to the disciples, but they represented only the minimal duties for a servant of Christ. Those who obey are not to think their obedience is meritorious.

Wow, this sure stuck in my head this morning as I read it. Not many people seem to realize what Jesus was saying. What does this say to you?

That is correct. Servants of God and Christ should not expect any special rewards for their service. And all Christians are "unworthy" servants since our merits count for nothing (only the merits of Christ).

However, because God is infinitely gracious, Christ will indeed reward His faithful servants, and some of them will even receive crowns from Him. This is over and above the fact that God has freely reserved an eternal inheritance in Heaven for all His children, as well as mansions in the New Jerusalem (not just niggardly rooms as some would have us believe).

Paul says that’s why we labor, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that we may receive the things done in our body whether good or bad.

The Lord, in essence, says that having fulfilled all these conditions, which were their duty to do, they would be no better than unprofitable servants; this is a fatal blow to the doctrine of Salvation by works; the Disciple is to say, “I am an unprofitable servant”; the Master will then say, “well done, good and faithful servant” [Mat. 25:21]

JSM

No man is saved by works, however when a srvant of God is given to do His Works, the servant will do them expecting nothing in return. All who have the spirit do works of God, many of them are not even aware they do them for what they do is natural to them and it is their due.

Faith, without works, is no faith at all....quite understandable.