The Gospel of Luke, chapter 17:10

Every Christian understands that the mission of the church is to serve others, to bridge differences, to heal, to facilitate growth in grace. Jesus is our model. “I have come,” He said, “not to be served, but to serve.” In another instance, Jesus stated that He came into the world so that we “may have life, and have it more abundantly.”

The spirit of service then is the true spirit of the Christian. In today’s gospel, Jesus tells His followers not to take credit for the work of the gospel. “When you have done all you have been told to do, say, we have only done our duty.”

This statement may sound extreme; not to take any credit for the good that we have done or are doing! It would seem to rub us the wrong way. Surely everyone likes to be complimented, thanked, and given a pat on the back for a service rendered.

Jesus appreciated gratitude, and He was upset when it was wanting. He cured ten lepers. But, only one showed gratitude. Naturally, Jesus expected satisfaction for doing a good deed. He was disappointed when He experienced so much ingratitude. Sometimes, He was so distressed that He could not perform any miracles because of ingratitude.

What then did Jesus intend when He asked the Christian not to take credit for the work of the gospel? He was trying to combat the evils of egoism and pride. Egoism and pride can undo the good that we do. We do the planting, sure enough; but only God does the sowing. We are privileged to be co-partners with God in bringing His grace to others. But, it is God’s grace that we bring, not ours.

All service in the name of Christ must flow from a spirit of gratitude. This attitude gets the monkey off our backs, so to speak. And the monkeys I’m talking about may be pride or egoism or personal ambition. What a wonderful thing it is to see people serving each other out of a spirit of gratitude and inner joy.

Let us strive to keep selfishness out of our lives, especially when serving the gospel, and to give God the credit for the good that we do.

Let us offer gratitude for all the good that God is doing among us through His faithful followers.

Fr. Hugh Duffy

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