Unworthy Servants or Treasured Possessions?

I have been thinking about the oft quoted words from Luke 17 that Jesus told his disciples to say after an act of obedience.

               

“Will any one of you who has a servant^[a] ploughing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? ⁸ Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly,^[b] and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? ⁹ Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? ¹⁰ So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants;^[c] we have only done what was our duty.’” [Luke 17:7-10]

This passage is quite strong when we read it with modern eyes. It gives insight into the status of a slave [the best rendering of the Greek Δούλος, (Doúlos) which most translations render as servant] in the first century Palestine. He is without much honour or recognition, he is not one to be invited to the table to ‘recline’ [interesting how they did not sit at tables like today but rather reclined] in a meal. His place was at work – to prepare a meal, to dress up properly and serve the master. Jesus then goes on to ask a rhetorical question, almost suggesting that a slave is not to be thanked. He is to serve without waiting to be asked or expecting to be thanked – it is a hard life and that is all his status as a slave entitles him to.

We get revolted when we think about such a treatment of workers. First it is important to note the Lord is not endorsing (neither is he condemning) the treatment of slaves at the time but rather using a well understood analogy to make a point. He then goes on to tell his disciples how their perception of themselves should be  - unworthy servants who only have a duty to do.  Does the Lord really mean that his workers are unprofitable? Does he really want them to perceive themselves as worthless? At one level, one might think the Lord is using self-deprecation as an expression of humility [quite common in certain cultures to debase oneself in order to show the worth of/respect to another] but it is also helpful to note that Jesus is addressing the heart here. As I reflected on the word ‘say’ in verse 10, I wondered who the saying is to be directed to and I came to the conclusion it is to ‘self’ which shows us this words are to be addressed to self. What the Lord is doing is really to rebuke the disciples. They think they need greater faith to do dazzling works [reading the whole passage in context] but the Lord reminds them they need to be like servants in their attitude.

It is interesting to notice that the Lord is not speaking from the masters point of view. Although he initially calls the listeners to identify with the master in the opening line, the punch line (lesson) is drawn from identifying with the slave in terms of attitude. Elsewhere and later on, Jesus [the ultimate master] will dine with his servants and they will recline at the table with him [22:14]. Afterwards, he will serve them as the servant in a perfect demonstration of servant leadership [John 13:33 ff].

It is striking how this contrasts speak volumes to us. It is Os Guinness, that famous writer on discernment  who said that contrast is the mother of clarity. We get clearer in our understanding when we look at things in contrast.  We are in the Lord’s vineyard working for him and we are indeed to perceive ourselves as slaves with a duty to do. In contrast, we are also treasured possessions in the Lords hands. The reward due to us is certain and it is glorious. The Lord is faithful and our labour in him is not in vain.

So, I do not think it is an either/or situation but rather a both/and argument. We are unworthy servants and treasured possessions (in jars of clay) at the same time.