Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional as we continue in our Luke, Exploring Who Jesus is series.
At present, I'm only posting on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Today, from Luke 17:7-10, we reflect on how God’s servants are to remain amazed by, and be fuelled by, how Jesus has served them.
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‘“Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”’ (Luke 17:7-10)
As we’ve seen, this parable is making the point that we are unworthy servants of God. He’s not our servant. He owes us nothing. God is never in our debt. God has the right to treat us however He wants to. Like the rights of masters and servants of Jesus’ day, God could simply expect obedience and certainly never has to serve us or thank us.
However, our God has treated ‘unworthy servants’ with amazing grace. In the very next verse, we are reminded that, ‘Now on his way to Jerusalem…’ (v.11). Our Lord has served us by going to Jerusalem to die. He became a servant. He went to the cross to save us. This loving service is most beautifully expressed in Philippians 2:
‘In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!’ (Philippians 2:5-8)
We, as God’s fallen creation, are ‘unworthy servants’ but He has served the unworthy. He died in our place to raise us up to the place of God’s children. And, like The Son of God, we are to serve in His likeness. Our service is the imitation of Christ, who served God and us. The image of God serving us, and how we are to serve one another, is wonderfully illustrated in Jesus’ washing His disciples’ feet:
‘Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him…I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”’ (John 17:3-5, 15-17
If God is holy and died for sinners, how much more should we who were unholy and sinful be ready to serve anyone! How do you and I need to wash feet? Do we act like we are ‘greater than our master’ who served whilst we are unwilling to the same?
Let’s pray together as we finish
“Lord Jesus, I thank you for serving me by going to the cross and remaining faithful each day. Forgive my unfaithfulness and pride. I’ve too often seen myself as too important to do the small things that you call me to do. May your glorious gospel of grace be my model for my character and service. Amen.”
Community Group Notes
1. Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
2. Icebreaker
How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week, and how has this helped you?
3. Worship together
Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.
4. Study and pray together
On Sunday our message from Luke 17:7-10, was entitled, ‘Called to imitate Jesus as servants’. In summary, Jesus wants to teach us about whole-hearted service that is modelled on Him.
Please read Luke Luke 17:7-10 and discuss:
Did God speak to you about any from Sunday’s message that would encourage others?
How does one become a servant of God?
What is required of servants of God?
How do we become effective servants of whom it can be said, ‘you have done everything you were told’?
How do you feel that you would like to become more faithful in serving?
SIV - How will serving God wholeheartedly help to bring our community to Jesus?
SIV - Do we have any stories of how we have ‘Served, Invested, and inVited’ recently?
SIV - Spend some time together talking and praying about who and how you are seeking to bring your community to Jesus; alternatively, pray for the ‘people of peace’ that you regularly meet with.
Let’s pray together: Pray for one another out of our study together and for anything else for which people would like prayer.
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