You’re Welcome!

“So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.” Luke 17:10

I will set the scene for you, but you’ve all been there. You come home from work after a long day and your spouse is busy with something. You, seeing a household chore that needs to be done (which is not typically your responsibility), step in and complete that task. You pause–triumphant–but quickly realize your spouse hasn’t even noticed your contribution. Frustrated, you declare, “You’re welcome!” and stomp out of the room.

While it is certainly nice to help others, looking for gratitude as a result of our efforts takes some of the shine off! In many places in Scripture, we are commanded to love, care for and serve other people. No thanks required. Yet, that is often just what we do–look for recognition. We want people to notice what we are doing and the sacrifices we have offered.

In our verse today, Jesus is challenging His disciples in regard to temptation, faith and service. He reminds them that they would not go out of their way to thank their servants or employees for doing what they had been hired to do–it is simply their responsibility. Jesus then likens His disciples to those servants, and by extension to us. Should we, having done only what is commanded, look for thanks? Or should we say, “We have only done what is our duty?”

It is so difficult, but at the advent of this new year, what if we stopped looking at how everything in the world affects us, and simply served other people? What if we stopped looking for recognition and loved people? It is our duty.

-Pastor Mike