“Will any one 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’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”
We all feel entitled to more than we’ve earned, that’s just a byproduct of living in the United States in 2016. “Hey, I showed up on-time every day to work, I didn’t leave early, and I got all my tasks done… don’t I deserve a raise?” no, you don’t. At least, not according to Jesus (snap!). This idea that people are owed something simply because they are is totally foreign to the Bible, unless, you’re talking about punishment, because we all deserve that. But what about our faith, has our cultural of entitlement infected our spiritual lives? Most definitely. “Lord, I go to church every week, I teach Sunday School, and I give 10% of everything I earn through my church…” Though we’d be waiting for the words “well done” Jesus might just say “do you want a cookie or something?” Don’t expect a pat on the back from the Lord for doing the least any Christian should be doing.
Our attitude should be to do ALL WE CAN for the kingdom, not simply live up to minimum obligations. If you’re ever trying to parse words and split hairs to find out the MINIMUM YOU HAVE TO DO you’re simply asking the wrong kinds of questions, you can’t get the right answer when you ask the wrong question. We are not owed anything, but we’re promised everything. Follow Jesus with a humble attitude, make hay while the sun is shining. The harvest is overflowing… be a worker.
I love this. Great post, John! It’s not just “that rotten entitlement generation” that needs this message. Obedience is love. Selfless love.