“Which one of you having a slave tending
sheep or plowing will say to him when he comes in from the field, ‘Come at once
and sit down to eat’? Instead, will he not tell him, ‘Prepare
something for me to eat, get ready, and serve me while I eat and drink; later
you can eat and drink’? Does he thank that slave because he did what was
commanded? In the same way, when you have done all that you were commanded, you
should say, ‘We are good-for-nothing slaves; we’ve only done our duty.’”
- Luke 17:7-10, HCSB
If you read First Kings 9:15-25, you will see that Solomon used
slave labor in building the First Temple. Verse 15 reads, "Here is the
account of the forced labor King Solomon conscripted...." Verse 21 states
that the descendents from the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and
Jebusites, "that is, their descendents remaining in the land, who the
Israelites could not exterminates - these Solomon conscripted for his slave
labor force...." Slave labor was common in both the Old and New Testament.
In fact, slavery has existed through all recorded history, and more than 20
million people remain in slavery in the world to this day. We like to think
that civilized nations do not enslave others; and due to American history, we
prefer to ignore slavery and not to speak of it. We think of slavery as repulsive
and champion a belief that all men should be free. Therefore, we find it
difficult to deal with Luke 17:7-10. No wonder it would take a Nigerian to help
the Western World understand the importance of Jesus’ parable.
In the August 13, 2014 issue of Christianity Today, there is a fascinating article by Alec Hill
that is worth looking up and reading; it is titled “The Most Troubling Parable:
Why Does Jesus Say We are Like Slaves?" This article deals with Luke
17:7-10, a parable often ignored in today's pulpits. In it, Alec Hill writes,
"Because our Master is all powerful,
we can lean on his strength. And because he is all Good, we can trust him to
care for us. What we see as our bondage is really our freedom." Alec points
out that as believers we must learn to yield control, carry out our duty, and serve
only Jesus. It is only in our slavery
to Jesus that we are free. This parable squares with and is consistent with other
New Testament Scriptures.
Scripture teaches us to voluntarily become slaves to Christ.
We are to humble ourselves to be his slaves, and in so doing find that Jesus makes
us sons and daughters. However, until we humble ourselves to the point of
becoming his slave, we are not treated as sons and daughters. Every person
working in a church (for pay) must determine if he or she is going to be a
"slave" for Christ or a "servant" for the church. These two
are very different and it is very important to know where you stand with the
church and with Christ.
The best I can tell, my family tree is far removed from
slavery in this country and in Europe. I have been unable to determine any
ancestors that were slaves, or slave owners, and yet I am most certain that
somewhere in my ancient past that slavery (as either slave or owner) would have
been a part of my Gentile ancestral tree. I say this, not because of my race or
the color of my skin, but because I am a sojourner in this world awaiting my
heavenly home going. Yet of this I am sure, I am a slave to Christ! He is my
Master and he can do with me whatever he desires. I serve no other master and I
am building no earthly kingdom. I have ceded control to Jesus. I work daily to
do my duty for Jesus. I only serve Jesus, and give him first place in my life above
all others – even family. I am his slave. Jesus owes me no thanks for the work
I do, it is owed to Jesus and much more. I am his slave and I am to serve him
faithfully. The fact that Jesus treats me as his brother and son has everything
to do with his mercy and grace, and nothing to do with my status as slave.
I love you Master and thank you today for the privilege of being your slave. Amen.
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