Luke 17:7-10, “7 And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? 8 But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. 10 So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”’
We all have a drive to be acknowledged, be thanked for things we do. We also love to be compensated for a job well done, we feel we deserve and are entitled to a number of things.
We feel we have done enough merit or have some qualifications for something in light of a duty performed. And we become frustrated when what we think we have earned or deserved goes unrecognized or appreciated. One televangelist hammers this in his broadcast of what believers are entitled to and deserve because of their relationship with Christ which is totally unbiblical.
I want us to be reminded that God owes us nothing. Even that which He does for us is not because of us but because of Jesus who was obedient to the Father even to the point of going to the cross. If you asked apostle Paul if he was special having done great things for God, he will say no. He was just fulfilling his call and in that he also benefitted.
Listen to Jesus address this issue in vs. 7. “But which of you having a servant ploughing or tending to the sheep…”. While this bible verse uses the word “servant”, in the original text the word is“slave”. In order to keep the disciples humble in the performance of miraculous works; and that they might not imagine they could have any thing at the hands of God by merit; and to excite them to go on from one duty to another; and never think they have done, or done enough, or more than what is their duty, Christ delivers this parable. The servant goes to the field to plough or tend to the sheep or both. When he gets back, he does not sit and wait for his master to prepare food for him, no, he prepares supper for his master and feeds him and when he is full then his servant (slave) sits down to eat. But does the master thank the servant for doing his job? Jesus says no. How then do we sometimes accuse God for not being fair? If He gave us what is fair we are all in trouble “for the wages of sin is death…”, Romans 6:23.
Vs. “10 ….When ye have done all, say, We are unprofitable servants”. “Aman cannot profit God. Happy is he who Judges himself an unprofitable servant: miserable is he whom God pronounces such. But though we are unprofitable to Him, our serving Him is not unprofitable to us. For He is pleased to give by His grace a value to our good works, which in consequence of His promise entitles us to an eternal reward”, John wesley
Our Master owes us no thanks when we serve Him faithfully, for we have only done our duty. The heavenly reward to the faithful is of grace, not of debt. We have not, as his servants (slaves), profited or benefited God at all. We do not benefit God by being obedient, we benefit ourselves. This thought should be a load lifted off us to be free from the thought that obedience makes us special entitling us for blessings.
The servant in this parable is cared for by being given identity, duties, protection, food and shelter, all provided for by the master, but not because the servant is worthy but because the Master is. May we walk in obedience not because we are special but because He is special. Blessings Ev
He Has Magnified His Word 
Amen
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