In Doctor Luke’s biography of Jesus, he shares some of the things Jesus said. Two accounts appear to contradict each other.
One time Jesus says the master will have his servants sit at his table and he will wait on them.
Another time Jesus said to not expect any such treatment; the servants will not be served or thanked for merely doing their jobs. After a hard day’s work, they can’t rest but need to prepare their master’s meal.
Assuming these illustrations have application for us – and since Jesus said them, I believe they do – which is it, to be served by our master or to serve him some more?
That’s a great question.
While we all desire to receive a reward, it seems silly to expect recognition from an almighty, all-powerful God. (Set aside our culture’s practice of rewarding every child for simply showing up.)
Although I’m not ready to turn this into a principle, I do see one difference between the two accounts.
In the first instance (where the master served the servants) he found them watching for him, waiting and ready. In the second account (where the master wanted to be served), the servants were working, doing what they were supposed to do, performing their assigned tasks.
Could it be that Jesus elevates watching over working? Perhaps expectancy is more important than action.
Furthermore, is there a parallel here to the debate over faith versus works (good deeds)?
[Luke 12:37-38, Luke 17:7-10, and James 2:14-26]
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.
