Luke 17:7

“Will any of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’?” Luke 17:7

Jesus begins to teach the disciples what it truly means to be His servant. The answer to His rhetorical question in this verse is no, of course not. When a servant comes in from his work, he is not pampered and told to sit down; instead, we’ll see in the next verse, he is expected to continue serving.

To me, this verse speaks of how a servant has no rights. Many a people would feel that they deserve to relax after a long day’s work. Not so the servant. The servant not only willingly serves continually, but also looks for ways in which he might serve.

In pondering what it means to be a servant, I am reminded of the song “You Can Have Me” by Sidewalk Prophets. The lyrics are so powerful to me:

“If I saw You on the street, and You said ‘Come and follow Me’, but I had to give up everything, all I once held dear and all of my dreams. Would I love You enough to let go, or would my love run dry, when You asked for my life?”

I want to be Jesus’ servant, no matter the cost. The truth is, we sometimes don’t realize the things that are dear to us and how much we love our rights until we are asked to give them up. I want to love Jesus enough to give up everything for Him. I don’t want to look for ways I can take a break from serving Jesus, but rather look for ways I can serve Him. I want to be His faithful servant all the days of my life.

Application: I will pray that I would have a servant’s heart.