Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down to eat’? 8 But will he not say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink’? 9 He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? 10 So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’” — Luke 17:7-10

The parable appears during Luke’s travel narrative, a collection of Jesus’s teachings that focus in large part on discipleship. In Luke 17:1-10, Jesus talks about the characteristics of disciples, explaining what they should do (don’t cause people to stumble, do rebuke and forgive sinners), that they should do it with conviction (“if you had faith like a mustard seed…”), and why they should do it, using the analogy of a slave working for his master.

Why do believers do God’s work? Simply put, because they are His servants. Their service is not especially praiseworthy; rather it is what is expected and required. The parable teaches the unvarnished lesson that believers are not to expect special thanks or reward from God just because they are doing what they are supposed to be doing. While scripture promises that He will bestow eternal blessings on His elect, the correct posture of Christians should be that of a humble slave. Gratitude is what motivates a true believer to serve Christ, and they will find sincere joy in doing so because they understand what He has done for them.

They also understand that God owes no one anything. In today’s culture of self-entitlement and pride, the idea is one that offends sensibilities. Even among the faithful, the notion of believers taking on the elevated work of God’s kingdom being likened to simple slaves grinding out tasks simply because they are obligated to do so runs counter to our natural, human sense of self-worth.

Humility is one of the characteristics of a believer emphasized repeatedly in scripture and clearly prized by God. It is precisely what is meant by Jesus when He refers to the “poor in spirit.” Like other model Christian characteristics He outlined in the Sermon on the Mount, true humility is contrary to basic human nature. But it is what is necessary not only to grasp the teaching of this short parable, but to attain citizenship in God’s kingdom. As Jesus told the twelve disciples after they had been discussing which of them was the greatest, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” Christ Himself set the example when He came down from on high to take on an earthly existence of humiliation and death for our sins.

So with that in mind, is God a thankless taskmaster? Consider also what else the parable shows—that His true servants will eat and drink at His table after they come in from the field and their work on earth is done, despite their utter unworthiness. What more could possibly be expected?

An honest assessment of ourselves shows that we are wholly undeserving of this gift, especially when we remember that believers are told to be holy and perfect. None of us can even approach the expectations He has of us in the first place, let alone go above and beyond in a manner that could ever compel Him to specially reward us for the effort. Therefore even the best among us, the most upright Christians to ever walk the earth, should dismiss thoughts of heavenly accolade for their flailing attempts at obedience. And yet He forgives us all our imperfections and wretched state, giving us Jesus to justify, sanctify and glorify us. That’s the seat at the table. That’s grace.

It is important to remember that the only thing any of us deserve, no matter how dutiful or righteous we think we are, is eternal hellfire. It is wise to come to peace with that truth. Yet through Christ Jesus some—the unworthy slaves—will gain the path to eternal life and His everlasting fellowship, the product of immeasurable, undeserved grace.