So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty. Luke 17:10We see here in these four verses of Luke 17:7-10 the quintessential formula for servanthood, which as discussed before is ever elusive in our culture and so patently difficult for us to truly grasp and live out.
Found in this passage are five distinct characteristics which are highly instructional for believers in Christ everywhere, especially for those going cross culturally into the mission field... so listen up and take note.
The servant first of all has to be willing to perform task upon task. In this narrative the servant worked all day in the field and then came in and was expected to prepare the meal for the master and then also to serve him at table. so the first characteristic of a servant is to perform thing upon thing.
Secondly it is not mentioned but obviously implied is that the servant did not deem the master selfish for this presumed blatant disregard of the servants "rights". The servant after all has no rights, they have been voluntarily given up. Also the servant does not look on at another servant and say "hey, what about him, why do I have to do more than he?" No the true bondservant does thing upon thing and does not entertain the inward struggle of judging his master on his fairness toward him.
Next is the fact that the servant is not thanked and that the idea of the servant even expecting to be thanked is out of place since he is only doing what is right and just for him to do. Therefore we have the servant doing thing upon thing, not thinking ill of the master, and not expecting to be thanked, so far so good, let's proceed.
The fourth characteristic found in the true bond servant is that he does not pat himself on the back for a job well done, he does not allow pride to elevate himself by thinking that he has done anything noteworthy or especially meritorious. For fifth and the last characteristic of a true bondservant who is rightly attuned to the Spirit of God is that he knows that he is in all of this merely performing his duty, and nothing more.
So in a nutshell:
1-Thing upon Thing.
2-Not thinking the master selfish.
3-Not expecting to be thanked.
4-Performing these and not becoming prideful.
5-Inherently knowing that his position is that of a servant.
APPLICATION
I need to meditate and imprint into my heart and therefore transform my mind to grasp these 5 characteristics, to wear them like a garment to strive to walk in this way and to measure myself against these un-American yet quintessentially Christian attitudes and character traits.
Principals in this devotional found in Roy Hession's Calvary Road
No comments:
Post a Comment