A SLAVE OR A SERVANT?

Tuesday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time
Lk 17:7-10

A slave has a master. A servant has a master too. A slave is expected to obey the wishes of his master. So is a servant. A slave attends to his master first and so does a servant. But we are not slaves. We are servants.

God does not treat us as slaves. A slave is not free. God respects our freewill. While, similar with a slave, we are expected to fulfill our God’s commands, God leaves us free to obey or not to obey Him. Even as we are God’s servants, we never lose our freedom. We do not go around bound by some kind of spiritual fetters. We are servants of God but we are always free to serve or not to serve Him.

In the Father’s house, there are no slaves, only children. Children can never be slaves in their own house. But they can be servants of their parents. For to be a servant is not to be a slave.

How do we regard our selves in relation to God? Do we look at our selves as slaves or as servants?

For a slave, to serve his master is a burden. For a servant, to serve his master is joy. A slave hopes to be rewarded, but rewards seldom, if ever, come. A servant, however, serves without any thought of rewards because to serve his master is in itself his reward.

Are you a slave or a servant?

God makes us servants. But some of us make our selves His slaves instead.