11/8/2022 (Tuesday) Today’s gospel reading: Luke 17:7-10
Jesus said to the Apostles:
7 “Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’?
8 Would he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished’?
9 Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
10 So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’”
11/8/2022 (Tuesday) Today’s gospel reading: Luke 17:7-10
At first glance, the gospel passage may seem to be difficult to understand. How could a landlord be so cold and callous to his servant? Yet we must dig deeper to see His message. First of all, Jesus lived in an agrarian society and most of His listeners were familiar with landlord-servant relationship. As a teacher par excellence, He uses examples and analogies that ring a bell to His audience so to speak. Secondly, He can not in anyway contradict His own values and precepts.
Actually, the above gospel reading is a follow up response of Jesus to the appeal of His apostles for Him to increase their faith. In the previous verse (verse 6), Jesus emphasized that faith, though it may be as small as a mustard seed, is powerful enough to initiate a miracle such as a tree being uprooted and transferred to the sea. Now, what Jesus is telling them (and us) in the gospel above is the need to focus on being a faithful and humble servant. As a servant, we may not be rewarded or even appreciated for the works we do but our Father who is totally unlike earthly bosses will take care of our compensation which is eternal life as Jesus had promised.
A faithful and humble servant does only the will of another who, in our case as believers, is God in heaven. It is His will that He is glorified by the whole of creation. It is His will that justice and peace prevail over all corners of the world. As His servants, we must therefore continue to work for the eradication of all kinds of injustices especially in the farms and factories where workers often toil day and night under harsh conditions. It is His will that all men and women be treated with dignity. As servants, there is a lot of work to be done in that area. In short, we must strive to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33).