Parable of the Master and Servant explained

The Parable of the Master and Servant is a parable told by Jesus in the New Testament, found only in Luke's Gospel (17:7-10 NIV). The parable teaches that when somebody "has done what God expects, he or she is only doing his or her duty."

Narrative

The parable reads as follows:

Interpretation

This parable suggests that "even the best of God's servants are still unworthy because they have only done their duty and no more."^[1] Nobody, "no matter how virtuous or hardworking, can ever put God in his or her debt."^[2]

William Barclay^[3] relates the parable to the last verse of the Isaac Watts hymn "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross":

Were the whole realm of Nature mine,That were an offering far too small;Love so amazing, so divine,Demands my soul, my life, my all.^[4]

The phrase "unworthy servant" in the last verse of the parable is widely used liturgically, such as in the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.^[5]

Scottish biblical writer William Nicoll refers to this story as "the parable of extra service".^[6]

See also

• Life of Jesus in the New Testament
• Ministry of Jesus
• Parable of the Two Debtors
• Parable of the Faithful Servant

Notes and References

1. Mark Black, Luke, College Press, 1996,, p. 285.
2. Arland J. Hultgren, The Parables of Jesus: A Commentary, Eerdmans Publishing, 2002,, p. 251.
3. [William Barclay (theologian)|William Barclay]
4. [:s:When I Survey the Wondrous Cross|WikiSource: ''When I Survey the Wondrous Cross'']
5. http://www.patronagechurch.com/HTML/DIVINE_LITURGY_SAINT_JOHN_CHRYSOSTOM.htm The divine liturgy of our father Saint John Chyrsostom, Byzantine Seminary Press, 1965
6. Nicoll, W., The Expositor's Greek Testament on Luke 17, accessed 4 July 2018