We are Unprofitable Servants - Luke 17:10

The beloved physician Luke wrote how Jesus asked His disciples, “which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird yourself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward you shall eat and drink? Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not”, and in chapter seventeen and verse ten of his book Luke wrote how Jesus said His disciples should say, “we are unprofitable servants” where we read:

So likewise you, when you shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say,

We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

The verse reads, “So likewise you, when you shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, ...” Luke began with the words, “so likewise you” or “thus, also and indeed in this same and like manner”, “when you shall have done” which means “at the time Jesus' disciples will have performed and produced” “all those things” or “each, every, the whole and everything” “which are commanded you” which means “that are arranged, appointed, ordained, prescribed and given order to Jesus' disciples”, “say” or “utter, declare and proclaim” the following words. Luke shared how Jesus instructed His disciples to do the same as the “servant” in His story after they have performed everything they were instructed to do, and they were to proclaim the following words.

The verse goes on to say, “We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.” Luke continued with the words, “we are unprofitable servants” or “we, disciples and servants of Jesus, are useless and good for nothing men of servile condition, slaves and bondmen”: “we have done that which was our duty” which means “we, disciples and servants of Jesus, have performed and produced the goodwill and debt which was due” “to do” or “to perform and produce”. Luke shared how Jesus said His disciples were to proclaim themselves to be “bondmen” who were “useless and good for nothing” after they “performed” what was expected and required of them.

When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we learn how Jesus' disciples were to evaluate themselves and their work in His Kingdom. Serving Jesus is a beautiful privilege, and those who yield their lives to Him should count it a “joy” to produce and perform duties for Him. God works on behalf of every person so they will have faith and trust in His Son Jesus, and after they submit their lives to Him as their personal “Savior and Lord”, they shall spend a lifetime being “unprofitable servants” who have “done that which was” their “duty to do”.

Next time Luke shares how Jesus, “passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee” so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".