7 But 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? 8 And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? 9 Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. 10 So likewise ye, when ye 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. (Luke 17:7-10 KJV)
Unworthy Servants
Christ’s servants must gird themselves for service, removing anything that hinders or distracts them. We must prepare ourselves with focused minds to finish the work. After preparing Christ’s supper, we must be ready to serve. Christ might demand this, but He does not. He came to serve, not to be served—He even washed His disciples’ feet.
Christ’s servants don’t even deserve thanks for their work. “Does he thank that servant?” No. We don’t earn God’s favor by our good works. God owes us nothing. We expect His favor not because we earned it, but because He promised it for His own glory. We cannot claim a reward based on merit. Even if we do all that is commanded—though we often fall short—it is still only our duty. There is no extra credit. Loving God with all our heart already demands everything we can give.
The best servants of Christ must still say, “We are unprofitable servants.” This doesn’t mean they’re useless, like those who bury their talents, but that their service adds nothing to God. Psalm 16:2; Job 22:2; 35:7 show that God gains nothing from us. He has no need of us and is not improved by our work. We are to call ourselves unprofitable servants, but call His service the most profitable thing—for He is happy without us, but we are lost without Him.