7 But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding
cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit
down to meat? 8 And will not
rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and
serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and
drink? 9 Doth he thank that
servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. 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. (Luke 17:7-10)
The
Collect
Sixth Sunday after Trinity
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O
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GOD, who hast prepared for those who love thee such
good things as pass man's understanding; Pour into our hearts such love toward
thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may obtain thy promises, which
exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
One
salient point of the Collect for 6th
Sunday after Trinity is the reality of the wonderful goodness of Heaven. The
mind of man cannot even imagine the joys and blessings of that happy land. The
love that flows into an open heart from the Fountain and Source of Love – the
Lord Jesus Christ – cannot be contained for abundance as it overflows our
hearts and is spread abroad to all who are recipients of that merciful grace
and effulgent Light of its Giver. Paul gives us an understanding of that
unfathomable measure of goodness that awaits those (and by them even presently
is experienced) the Lord Jesus Christ: But as it is written, Eye hath not
seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things
which God hath prepared for them that love him (1 Cor 2:9) Those
promises made mention of are not procured through labor and struggle, but
through an overriding love for Christ. The lines of Robert Browning add
description to this Collect:
"O
heart I made, a heart beats here!
Face,
my hands fashioned, see it in myself!
Thou
hast no power nor mayst conceive of mine,
But
love I gave thee, with myself to love,
And
thou must love me who died for thee!"
A
confirming of scripture, by scripture, occurs in another place: For since
the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear,
neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him
that waiteth for him (Isaiah 64:4) Such emphasis makes
the prospect remarkable in import, does it not?
7 But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding
cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit
down to meat?
Unfortunately, common courtesy is often lacking in relationship of master to
servant, and overseer to subordinate. To show deference to one in low station
is not an exception in the kingdom of heaven, but rather the very rule and
custom. Yes, we, being recipients of such a grace from the Sovereign of heaven
have done no remarkable good simply in doing that which is common to the
etiquette of heaven. We must treat every man, victor or vanquished, with common
courtesy and respect. But Christ asks, "Do we do that little service to
others which has been done to us?"
8 And will not rather say unto him, Make ready
wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and
drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Does this
not better describe our characters? Do we not race to be first in line, nor do
we not press our place of privilege at every opportunity? While at West Point,
I learned one important lesson of leadership even in eating: "The
commander of troops never satisfies his own stomach until each man under his
command has had the opportunity to eat." A good commander, observing
this rule of the Mess in areas of all common subsistence, will earn the respect
and loyalty of his troops. He demonstrates his care and concern for them in
executing his responsibilities as their leader. A good Christian who shows
deference and respect for those of a perceived `lower station' will earn their
love and respect. They may even be led to enquire what religion it is that
prompts them to be so kind…….
9 Doth he thank that servant because he did
the things that were commanded him? I trow not. No, we do
not often do that, but Christ tells us that we should, and we MUST. Even in the
doing, we have performed no act worthy of commendation in heaven for it is the
simplest of acts taken for granted in the courtesies of heaven.
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. As William Arnot has said regarding this
parable, "……….even if we lived in perfect obedience to the Law laid down
by God, God is not under any obligation to grant us privilege. Perfect
Obedience is the very least expected of his Creation." You may already
have begun to realize that you have not been perfectly obedient to God. If so,
you have been very long in learning that lesson! We are altogether unprofitable
servants. God has not profited in the least from our labors, or our misconduct
either. But god loves those who love His Son Jesus, and He has placed our sins
on the shoulders of that Beloved, only Begotten, Son to bear the punishment
that each of us deserve, and will surely receive, without the abundant Grace of
God in Christ being showered upon our souls and hearts. Please get to a very
quiet place and give thought to this question: What have I done today, or ever
in the past, that has profited God? Have I made His days happier by my living
such a life pristine and vacant of sinful deeds or thoughts? Has my behavior
and conduct toward others brought great credit upon His son, Jesus Christ, who
even died for our bad behavior and conduct? Perhaps we have no escape from our
failures, but certainly we do! We are saved by Grace and not by the labors of
our hands, lest any man should boast! AMEN!!!
