Luke 17:1-10
Let’s remember to pray for Jim and Marty. Welcome home, Debbie!!
“Notice what you notice.” Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? (v. 9) Translations can have similar meanings, but different emphases. The line above is from the ESV. Here’s the NASB, spoken as a statement-question combination, a bit more forceful: He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? The NKJV is even more clear – it’s what struck me this morning: Does he thank the servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. The “I think not” really stood out for me. A small point, but intriguing…
But then I thought more about thanking people for what they do for us. Carol and I never fail to thank our servers when they bring something to our table, nor do we fail to thank craftsmen (plumbers, electricians, etc.) when they have done some work at our house. So I was wondering if the question that Jesus suggested was the local standard? If so, it seems odd to us. Was it really that way back in the first century? Were masters truly so dominating to their servants? Then I thought of our own history of slavery in the South. There were good masters and bad masters. Then my mind flashed to Downton Abbey, to the wealthy being served dinner or tea or having something else done by the servants. And again, some of those wealthy folks were kind and gracious and others were rude to the help. However, we have no excuse. When someone does anything for us, we thank them!
Every morning I make coffee for Carol and me, and in so doing I choose a pair of matching coffee cups. This morning I chose a pair of cups (randomly), one of which said “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, nothing shall be impossible for you,” which is a Matthew 17:20 (edited) parallel translation of our verse 6. We’ve heard David speak of a “divine echo” – when the Holy Spirit calls a particular item to mind on two or three occasions in the same time frame. So I guess the message to Carol and me today is faith. And you…?
Slava Bohu!