Luke 17:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Nevertheless, we shouldn’t act with the expectation of His gratitude, seeking His recognition, but rather fulfill our responsibilities as servants. Indeed, every good act is a duty, and all we do is simply the execution of that duty. If we, having acquired slaves with monetary means, expect them to live solely for us, isn’t it even more fitting that we serve Him who called us into existence from nothingness and redeemed us with His precious blood? He paid a price for us that no one else would pay for their own child—His own blood was shed. Hence, even if we had a thousand souls each and offered them all up, we could not match His sacrifice. Why is that? Because He did it for us not out of obligation but solely through His unmerited grace, while we have an obligation to respond. He, being divine, became a servant, embracing death in the flesh even though He is free from it; and unless we willingly lay down our lives for Him, we will inevitably relinquish our lives due to natural law—sooner or later, we will part with life against our will. The same principle applies to our resources: if we do not use them for His sake, we will have to part with them at the end of our lives. Likewise with humility: if we do not practice humility for His sake, we will be humbled through trials, tribulations, and oppression. Observe how magnificent is His gratitude! He did not ask, ‘What did the martyrs do that was so significant? Surely, had they not perished for Me, they would have died anyway.’ He rewards them with profound gratitude for voluntarily giving what they would eventually have given involuntarily as per natural law. He did not question, ‘What worth is there in those who distribute their belongings? They will certainly do so willingly,’ yet He offers them immense thanks and expresses no shame in declaring that He was nourished by servants. Indeed, it honors the Lord to have thankful servants; it brings Him glory to cherish His servants, to claim what is rightfully theirs, and to openly affirm it before all. Let us be humbled by such love from Christ and be inspired to love fervently in return. When we learn of someone’s love for us—regardless of their status or wealth—we are often moved to reciprocate that love and show them respect; yet our Lord, who loves us profoundly, does this without us being stirred? I urge you, let us not disregard the well-being of our souls but strive to love Him to the fullest of our ability, offering all we possess out of love for Him—our souls, our resources, our honor, and all our gifts with joy and eagerness, not viewing it as beneficial for Him but as a blessing for ourselves. Such is the essence of love: those who love find joy in suffering for the ones they care for. Let us, too, serve our Master with such dedication that we may also enjoy future blessings in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and to all ages. Amen.

The adversary, the instigator of evil, can lead people to mistakenly believe that God owes them the highest accolades when their lives are marked by distinction and glory. To steer us away from such detrimental thoughts, the Lord presents the essence of the teachings we have just heard, illustrating through example that the authority of governance demands obedience from its servants as a fundamental obligation. The master, He states, offers no acknowledgment for the servant, even if the servant fulfills all duties according to his position.

Recognize yourself as a servant responsible for numerous duties! Do not elevate yourself merely because you are deemed a child of God: while you should appreciate the grace bestowed upon you, remember your true nature. Do not take pride if you have served faithfully, as this is your duty (cf. Luke 17:10). The sun obeys, the moon yields, and the angels serve. The chosen vessel for the Gentiles (Acts 9:15) declared, "I am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God" (1 Cor. 15:9). Later, affirming his innocence, he said, "But I am not justified by this" (1 Cor. 4:4). Therefore, let us not commend ourselves, nor presume upon the judgment of God, nor anticipate the verdict of the Judge; instead, we should wait for our own time for the rightful Judge.

The Gospel also admonishes the ungrateful (see Luke 17:11-19) and here we find the beginning of the discourse on future judgment.

Instead, they should humbly acknowledge their position, declaring, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty'—similar to a servant who, regardless of the amount of work done throughout the day, does not anticipate special commendation or reward from their master upon returning from the fields, having fulfilled their obligations.

Likewise, when you have fulfilled all that is commanded of you, you should declare, “We are unworthy servants, as we have only done what was required.” How often do we, having completed a good deed for someone else, take pride in it, seek to publicize our generosity in multiple ways, and expect recognition or special gratitude from those we’ve helped? Yet, by performing acts of kindness and aiding our neighbors in their time of need, we are merely executing the command of God, who instructs us to love others and act justly towards them. If we, in our service to others, are akin to servants dutifully attending to our Lord’s requests, we ought not to anticipate thankfulness from those we aid, nor accolades from bystanders.

Regrettably, the very lack of gratitude from those we help can serve as a rebuke for benefiting them, especially when our good deeds are not done out of genuine love for our neighbors but rather from a place of vanity. We tend to forget the command Christ gave: to perform acts of kindness discreetly, so that our left hand is unaware of what our right hand is doing. Therefore, if your acts of kindness are met with indifference, do not be disheartened. Recall the words of Jesus and humbly acknowledge, “I am an unworthy servant, for I have only fulfilled my obligations.” Only those who have not been touched by Christian love—who have forgotten that even our enemies deserve love—will exploit kindness without a desire to reciprocate or even express gratitude. There are instances where those who have been aided, freed from their struggles by the kindness of their benefactors, feel shame in acknowledging this. Instead of showing appreciation, they might respond with bitterness or even retaliate against those who have helped them. Such individuals have succumbed to darkness; they embody the malevolence that has turned against goodness.

In concluding this account of Jesus’ discussion with His disciples, we must reflect on His words: The Son of Man... came... to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). The Greek term 'lutron', translated as ransom, refers to the price paid in ancient times for those taken captive during warfare. Those who were ransomed were freed from captivity, whereas those whose ransom was unpaid remained slaves to their captors and were deemed lost to their homeland. Similarly, Christ refers to His redemptive work for humanity as a ransom, for all are trapped in sin, held captive and facing judgment and eternal separation. Yet through His teachings, the example of His life, His suffering, and death, He has illuminated the path to freedom, offering ransom to those willing to accept it. But why is it that not all are liberated, but only many? The ransom is provided only for those who earnestly seek it, for many choose to fulfill Christ’s commands and thus pursue the will of God, but not everyone does; hence it is said, “for the redemption of many” rather than all.

Additionally, some interpreters place the parable of the unworthy servants after the request from the apostles for an increase in their faith, based on the order of Luke’s narrative. However, since the Gospel writer does not strictly arrange all events and teachings of Jesus chronologically, and given that the parable directly ties to Jesus' instruction regarding the Zebedee brothers’ request rather than the apostles' plea for a greater faith, I have chosen to present it following Mark 10:45.

This warning was particularly vital for the Apostles at that time, as they were still influenced by incomplete understandings, debating among themselves about their status in the Kingdom of the Messiah, and anticipating specific external accolades. In response to such immature desires for rewards, and as a cautionary measure, this parable imparts the following lessons: 1) they will receive recognition as servants, 2) they should await it in the manner a servant awaits a kind word from their master, and 3) they must regard it not as something they have earned, but as a gracious gift from God, bestowed not based on merit but according to His divine will. The mention of "ploughing or shepherding" underscores the arduous responsibilities of a servant, illustrating the challenges inherent in the apostolic mission.

In His response, the Lord directed their attention to the remarkable power of faith, emphasizing that even a minuscule amount, like a tiny seed within the human spirit, can lead to extraordinary outcomes: if you had faith like a mustard seed, you could command this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would obey you. The Saviour had previously conveyed similar sentiments to His disciples (Matt. 17:20) and reiterated them later (21:21), using the mustard seed to symbolize the Kingdom of Heaven and faith, intending to inspire the understanding of the ongoing maturation and strengthening of the faith seeded within the soul. The primary focus for the disciples was to cultivate this faith within themselves, which would gradually and unobtrusively permeate their entire being. However, cautioning them against pride in their faith's achievements or self-aggrandizement from good works, the Lord illustrated humility through a common scenario: ‘Which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say to him when he comes in from the field, "Come at once and sit down to eat?" And will he not rather say to him, "Prepare something for my supper, gird yourself, and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink?" Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, "We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty."’ As noted by St. Neil of Sinai, while fulfilling our obligations may bring us joy, it should not lead to arrogance, as we must recognize that what we owe is not a mere act of generosity, and it is unbecoming for one who has fulfilled their duty to Christ to boast as a benefactor, magnifying what is owed with gratitude that should not come with expectation of reward.

What lesson can we draw from the example of the servant who, upon returning from the field, does not rest or tend to his own needs but continues to serve his master? - It teaches us that despite our various efforts and responsibilities, we must never abandon the service of God. Why does the parable suggest that a master is unlikely to express gratitude for his servant's work? - This is because the servant is merely fulfilling his obligation, which does not entitle him to special praise or recognition.

Why should we still consider ourselves as unworthy servants, even after accomplishing all that has been commanded of us? - Because we have done solely what was required, and our good works remain flawed. In what ways are our righteous deeds imperfect? - Often, we perform good acts not out of genuine desire, but rather to evade penalties, acting as lazy and unworthy servants, not from a pure love for God. Furthermore, our good works are accomplished only through the assistance of God's grace, while the Lord expects our actions to reflect His greatness.

Why is there such a high expectation placed on the Christian? - Because he has been entrusted with many gifts from creation and redemption, and many blessings await him in eternal life. Thus, none of us should shy away from serving God for any reason, nor should we assume that completing one or more good deeds means we have met our obligations to Him. If there are essential tasks to perform, my responsibilities towards God should take precedence beforehand. If I feel exhausted from secular work, I should not excuse myself from attending to church obligations. If I have prayed in the worship space, I should not neglect my regular prayers at home upon returning.

Consider these passages related to the parable of the servant returning from the field: 1. "Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation! Let no one cause another to stumble in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed, but in all things let us show ourselves as ministers of God, in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes." 2 Cor. 6:2-10. 2. "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master." Matthew 25:21. 3. "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor." John 12:26. 4. "For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship." 1 Cor. 9:16-17. 5. "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." 1 Cor. 15:9-10. 6. "But as it is written: 'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.'" 1 Cor. 2:9.