Expectations

Luke 17:10 “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.”

Have you ever had an expectation that turned into a disappointment? I remember a friend of mine when I was a boy who had high expectations and ended up with a great disappointment. He ordered a brand-new pellet gun through a mail-order catalog. Of course the picture in this catalog looked fancy and larger than life; it looked like a machine gun-something that definitely had his interest! He dreamed of hunting squirrels, not with his puny little BB gun, but with this brand-new, state-of-the-art, semi-automatic pellet machine gun! And the great news? It only cost $5! Well, when the envelope came in the mailbox, my disappointed friend had a cheap, plastic toy gun that looked more like a Wal-Mart special but at twice the price!

You know, don’t you, that the higher your expectations, the farther you have to fall. Has God ever not met your expectations? I do not mean that God did not do what is right; I mean you had an expectation of how or when God should do something, and yet you were disappointed. I am reminded of Naaman’s words in II Kings 5:11. The prophet Elisha told him of God’s plan to cleanse his leprosy, yet Naaman was disappointed: “Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.” Naaman had expectations that God did not meet. But in the end, Naaman was healed when he trusted in God’s way, not his way.

We find part of Luke 17 devoted to the subject of faith. The apostles said in verse 5, “Lord, Increase our faith.” In teaching on faith, the Lord gave a lesson about expectations in verses 7-10. The story points to the fact that a master does not tell his servant to serve himself first, but rather to take care of his (the master’s) meal first, then his own needs. There is nothing amazing about this-that is what a servant does! Better yet, that is what a servant is. A servant’s duty is to look after the needs of the master.

The Lord’s teaching gives us three facts that are worthy of noting. First, Luke 17:7-10 addresses our part, not God’s.God does notice-He knows all about our serving, even if we fail to serve. The point is not God’s part; the point is our part-to serve. Later in Luke 17, the Lord heals ten lepers. Healing was the Lord’s part-He never fails to do His part. However, nine of the lepers failed to do their part-only one “fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks. . . .” (Luke 17:16)

Also note that this passage addresses expectations, not motivation. The work in verse 10 is past tense: “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things. . .” This does not negate our serving the Lord in love; that is motivation. Our expectations can be found in many things, but this passage addresses the right expectation-serving. We are servants-that is what we are and what we do (serve).

Lastly, this passage appeals to familiar experiences. While we probably do not have servants, most of us have the next best thing-kids! You can relate to how this works. Parents do not negotiate with kids about food or the home. Kids are kids-that is both their duty (to be the right kind of kid) and who they are. Serving the Lord is not about the pay, the appreciation, or the recognition. Ministry is serving and serving is the reward: “We have done that which was our duty to do.”

So how does this passage on expectations fit into faith? Your expectation today ought to be trusting God to do what is right by you. If your expectation is anything else, you may be and probably will be disappointed. But as servants of God Almighty, our duty is to serve. And God, Who sees all and knows all, will always do His part. And you can trust Him about that.