We are unprofitable servants. (Luke 17:10)
At first glance, Jesus words to his disciples may seem harsh. Essentially, he told them that it was not enough for them to just do what he commanded. Was he expecting them to slave even harder? Was he telling them that if they did more, they would be truly profitable servants who merited his pleasure? Not at all. We dont earn Gods love anyway. Its a gift he gives to usone and all, profitable and unprofitable!
Jesus parable shines a light on the kind of discipleship that he is calling us to, not the amount of work hes looking for. We can respond to him like slaves, or we can be his friends. And if we have any question about which is the best approach, Scripture gives us a clear answer: at the Last Supper, Jesus told his disciples that he called them friends, not slaves (John 15:15).
It is very possible for us to work for God and yet never really know him. With a little determination, we could undertake all sorts of projects for our parish or for the poor, either out of a sense of duty or out of a desire to ensure our place in heaven. But this isnt what Jesus is looking for. He wants to have a relationship of love with us, not one of fear or obligation. If we think like duty-bound slaves, we are missing the entire reason why God created us in the first place: to be in union with him in love.
Of course, there are things we must do as his disciples. There are commands that we must obey and guidelines that we must follow. But undergirding all of these must be the things we do simply because we love Jesusthings like turning our hearts to him every day and sharing his love with everyone around us, especially his little ones.
So how can you become a profitable servant of the Lord today? Maybe a good way to start is by asking the Spirit to fill your heart with Gods love. Let that love awaken a deeper love for him in youa love and a deeper desire to serve him.
Jesus, thank you for giving me a share in your life. Now I freely give my life back to you.
Titus 2:1-8, 11-14; Psalm 37:3-4, 18, 23, 27, 29