Luke 17:10
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.’”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The key here is that "unprofitable" doesn't mean useless or sinful. It means that even after doing everything God commanded, a servant still hasn't added anything to God or laid Him under obligation. Our service is simply fulfilling our duty as creatures completely dependent on Him, not earning merit or extra favor.
Jesus is addressing His disciples' need for humility and self-awareness, using a parable about a servant to illustrate their relationship with God. He's responding to their request to increase their faith by showing that true faith isn't about earning favor, but about recognizing their place as servants who owe God everything. The passage emphasizes that even after fulfilling all commands, their service is simply doing what's required, not earning merit.
Have you ever felt like you've gone above and beyond, only to feel unappreciated or unacknowledged? Jesus flips this script.
Jesus is teaching his disciples that their relationship with God isn't about earning points or accumulating merit. As servants, everything they do is simply what they are obligated to do. The scholars highlight that the original Greek word for 'unprofitable' (achreios) doesn't mean useless, but rather that the servant has rendered no service beyond what was due. God doesn't owe us anything because, as His creation and sustained beings, our service is simply fulfilling our intended purpose. We can't add anything to God's infinite being or essential happiness.
Imagine working tirelessly all day, only to be told you've done nothing more than expected. That's the attitude Jesus calls us to.
The core of this teaching is about cultivating a posture of humility before God. When we've completed all our commanded tasks, the appropriate response isn't pride or self-congratulation, but a humble acknowledgment of our status as servants. This means not expecting special thanks or considering ourselves 'owed' anything by God. Even the most diligent service doesn't earn merit; it simply fulfills our duty. This perspective guards against arrogance and keeps our focus on God's grace.
Understand the original words
achreios · Greek Adjective
Generally refers to the lack of merit or claim to a reward before God. It describes a state of total dependence on divine grace, where the individual acknowledges that their actions, even when obedient, do not obligate God to provide favor or compensation.
opheilē · Greek Noun
That which is legally or morally required; a task or obligation that is owed. In the Christian life, it denotes the fundamental response of obedience that a creature owes to the Creator, which never exceeds the boundaries of what is expected.
This passage echoes the sentiment that God doesn't need our service, as nothing we offer can truly add to His perfect being or possessions, aligning with the idea of our service being 'unprofitable' in the sense that it doesn't benefit God Himself.
Matthew 25:30This verse uses the same term 'unprofitable servant' but in a negative context, condemning a servant for doing nothing. It highlights the contrast: while doing nothing makes a servant truly unprofitable, doing exactly what is commanded still leaves one in the position of having only done their duty.
1 Corinthians 4:7This verse directly asks, 'Who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive?' This reinforces the idea that any ability to serve or obey comes from God, and therefore, our service is not a matter of personal merit but of grateful response.
Colossians 1:10This passage speaks of being 'filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding' and 'bearing fruit in every good work.' It connects divine enablement with obedient action, mirroring the disciples' responsibility to do what is commanded and then acknowledge their status as servants.
Job 9:21vincentLuke 17:10: "So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do."
Unprofitable (ἀχρεῖοι)From χρεία, requirement; something which the master must pay. Not useless, but having rendered no service beyond what was due. "The profit does not begin until the servant goes beyond his obligation" (Meyer). "A servant owes all things" (Bengel).
gillLuke 17:10: "So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do."
So likewise ye,.... This is the accommodation and application of the parable to the disciples of Christ, who whether ministers or private believers, are as servants, and should be as laborious as the ploughman, and the shepherd; and as their condition is, so their conduct should be like theirs: the employment of the minist…
The key here is that "unprofitable" doesn't mean useless or sinful. It means that even after doing everything God commanded, a servant still hasn't added anything to God or laid Him under obligation. Our service is simply fulfilling our duty as creatures completely dependent on Him, not earning merit or extra favor.
Jesus is addressing His disciples' need for humility and self-awareness, using a parable about a servant to illustrate their relationship with God. He's responding to their request to increase their faith by showing that true faith isn't about earning favor, but about recognizing their place as servants who owe God everything. The passage emphasizes that even after fulfilling all commands, their service is simply doing what's required, not earning merit.
Jesus is addressing His disciples' need for humility and self-awareness, using a parable about a servant to illustrate their relationship with God. He's responding to their request to increase their faith by showing that true faith isn't about earning favor, but about recognizing their place as servants who owe God everything. The passage emphasizes that even after fulfilling all commands, their service is simply doing what's required, not earning merit.
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Job's cry, 'I am blameless, yet I have no concern for myself; I reject my life,' reflects a profound awareness of one's own inadequacy before God, even when striving for righteousness. This resonates with the disciple's declaration of being 'unprofitable' after fulfilling their duties, underscoring a deep humility that recognizes all service is owed.
"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.’”" — The key here is that "unprofitable" doesn't mean useless or sinful. It means that even after doing everything God commanded, a servant still hasn't added anything to God or laid Him under obligatio…
