“… ‘We are unworthy servants;
we have only done what was our duty.'”
Luke 17:10

A dark green 1970 Chevy Nova was my college graduation gift from my parents. It had a 350 horse power engine; it could roar.

I named him Luke from the scripture above. The car was a gift to me to serve me, to get me back and forth to the school where I taught 3rd grade, to get me to the grocery store, to get me to church, and to all those other places a young 20 something needed to go. It was Luke’s duty to faithfully serve me. And he did. Even Bill confesses, he married me for my car.

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“The master said to him, ‘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 and 23

Well done, good and faithful servant, a phrase from Jesus’ parable of the talents (another servant passage) is often spoken of a believer who has died. But in Jesus’ story, the faithful servant is quite alive. Recently I’ve been pondering this passage and asking, is its only purpose to give us words to say about the deceased? I don’t think so.

I’m noticing …

A servant has a master.
A good master knows the capabilities of the servant.
A servant has an appropriate responsibility.
Faithfulness is the key measure.
Serving well is rewarded equally.

The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 illustrate all the above principles.

“It will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property … each according to his ability.” Matthew 25:14 & 15 (italics mine).

I also have a master who has called me. Child of God, my identity, is lived out as a servant.
My master knows me well. He has not only called me, he has gifted me (given me talents).
These talents, determined by God’s gifting, have purpose in his kingdom.

It has taken several years for me to identify my gifts. Hospitality is something I enjoy. But when someone noticed that, my response was oh, that is so easy communicating that hospitality wasn’t important;  that is what I believed. Now I realize that hospitality is one of the gifts God has given me, and I need to be faithful with it.

‘Well done, good and faithful … you have been faithful …” Matthew 25:21 & 23 (italics mine).

Faithfulness is my most important responsibility. This keeps me from comparison. This allows me to honor and enjoy you and what you are doing. Our responsibilities are different; the way we carry out the responsibilities is the same, faithfully.

My serving (and your serving) is noticed and rewarded.  There is so much peace in embracing this truth. It protects me from wanting more, from wanting different.

As a young believer, I interpreted serving God as a duty, like my car. I never considered serving as living out who God created me to be or as creating a picture of the image-bearer that I am. The duty of serving was the end game. Being a servant was my lot in life, not filled with God-given purpose. And it never occurred to me that my lot was equally important as yours.  Or that faithfulness was the most important factor. And that our contributions, as different as they are, would be rewarded equally. But they are!

“For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand,
that we should walk in them.”
Ephesians 2:10 (italics mine)