Unworthy Servants
This teaching, and the story that follows, deals with attitudes. Specifically, Jesus was teaching about the attitude one should have if he or she is a follower of Jesus.
Jesus made the point that God does not owe you anything. The Pharisees thought he did. They thought they were righteous and God was blessed to have them, so he should reward them with wealth and reputation. They were not grateful to God for what they had because they believed they deserved it.
Christians are called to spiritual duties. They are called to live holy lives to the glory of God. They are to share the gospel. They are to minister to others. Ephesians 1:4 says that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. Ephesians 2:10 says we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.
We are to do these duties, not claiming we deserve anything from God, but having faith in Christ and thanking him for our salvation. Paul wrote “Oh foolish Galatians…Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:1-3)
Jesus portrayed this idea graphically in his example of a master and servant. It was the servant’s job to serve the master, not the other way around. It would have been inconceivable to the people listening to Jesus to imagine it any other way. A servant did not make demands of his master.
A modern example might be staying in a hotel. If you pay to spend the night in a nice hotel room, you do not expect to find the staff in your room, sleeping in your bed and wanting you to bring them breakfast in bed.
Some people want to hold up to God all they have done for him and demand, or at least expect, him to return the favor with material blessings. Instead, we should say “we are unworthy servants; we have only done what is our duty”. (10)
Because we are unworthy servants! We have no merit of our own before God. We have what we have as a matter of God’s grace.
This is not to say that God is not pleased with the good works of believers, he is. But we do not place God in our debt by doing them. We do them because we are his servants, grateful for our salvation and our relationship with him.
17:11-19
Grateful v. Ungrateful
The Story of 10 Lepers
The next story recorded by Luke demonstrates this teaching of Jesus.
As Jesus was traveling toward Jerusalem, we went along between Samaria and Galilee. He went into a village and encountered 10 lepers. (11) The lepers stood off at a distance, as they were supposed to do. In the Old Testament, during Israel’s time in the wilderness, they were put outside the camp as unclean. (Leviticus 13:45-46)
During Jesus’ time, they were required to live outside of town, avoid contact with clean people, and announce their presence in advance so others could avoid them.
The men asked Jesus to have mercy on them. (13) They wanted to be healed of their disease so they could be healthy and rejoin society.
Jesus showed them mercy. He sent them to the priests, who would have to verify their cleanness before they could interact with people again. (Leviticus 14) While they were on their way, they were healed. (14) Nine of the 10 guys went on to the priests and, presumably, their old lives.
The nine who went on their way were like most people and, especially, the Pharisees. They were happy with God’s mercy and blessing, but not happy with God himself. They loved the gift but not the giver. They did not have a heart of thankfulness. They were like a servant who expected his master to wait on him in the story Jesus had just told.
Paul said the lack of thankfulness is the sign of a depraved mind. He said “For although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Romans 1:21) Paul told Timothy that the last days would be characterized by people who were ungrateful. (1 Timothy 3:1-2)
One of the 10, who was a Samaritan, turned back when he realized he was healed. Even as he walked along the road back to Jesus, he praised God in a loud voice. (15) When he came to Jesus, the man fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, thanking him. (16)
Jesus pointed out that this man was a Samaritan. The Jews despised Samaritans and thought them to be heretics. But the 9 Jews did not give thanks, only the Samaritan.
Believers should give thanks to God for all blessings. It is the right thing to do in acknowledgement that God owes us nothing and gives us blessings from his grace. James 1:17 says “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…” .
The first thing Christians should thank God for is their salvation, for it is a matter of his grace, not our works. This thankful leper seems to have received not only physical healing, but spiritual healing. He was saved.
Jesus said his faith made him well. The word translated “well” is a form of the word often used for salvation. In the ESV, the alternate translation given in the footnote is “your faith has saved you”. The man believed in Jesus and received salvation. He alone among the 10 saw that Jesus’ healing showed him to be the Messiah and Savior.
If you have been a believer for many years, you may have come to take your salvation for granted. That should not be so. It should still fill you with joy and gratitude. You should thank God for it daily.
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