The Unprofitable Servants

Luke 17:5-10
The Parable
“And the apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’

“So the Lord said, ‘If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, “Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,” and it would obey you.  And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, “Come at once and sit down to eat”?  But will he not rather say to him, “Prepare something for my supper, and 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 unprofitable servants.  We have done what was our duty to do.”’”


Lesson
The disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith; he shows that increasing our humility, realizing our true state in this life, that of being an unprofitable servant, is an increase in our faith.

There isn’t anything in the church which he hasn’t created for us to do, Ephesians 2:10; therefore, we can’t go above or beyond anything in our service.  Whatever we do, it is only our duty to do; it is our duty as a Christian to serve Him.

But none of us has the faith to move a tree.