Wednesday, August 28, 2013

the unamerican parable


"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.'"
-jesus, in luke 17:7-10


this is one of my favorite parables. its hard to exactly describe why, but i just love it because its so counter to american christianity where everyone thinks that they are the center of God's universe.


we should be serving God in realization of our own unworthiness, without demanding our service be recognized.   our continual thought should be "we are unworthy.  praise Him, praise Him."   

praise Him because he doesn't need us, praise Him because he invites us to participate in his mission to the world.

--from the archives 

2 comments:

  1. Well said, cousin. I went to a megachurch for a year or so when we first got down here, and they taught, and I am quoting fairly accurately here, "God is not God without us(man)." O_o WHA??? Really? That was the last time we stepped foot into that "church". God is as sovereign, holy, and true now as He was before we were around. It's amazing that we get so arrogant as to think that God just can't stand not having us around. And as a result, we live often times a life opposite of how we should :(

    Anyway, good post.

    Josh

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  2. wow! a parable that doesn't stick out in my head. That is sad bc it is evident i may be accused of the same.

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