Debts and Debtors

“We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.” Luke 17:10

Ought – “Slaves we are” says the verse, the emphasis on our position, not our actions.  So it continues, literally, “what we ought to do, we have done”.  Position and duty.  Nothing more.  But this word (opheilo) tells us a bit more.  It is the word for what is required of me, by law, by obligation or by duty.  It is my debt paid by my service.  In fact, Paul uses the word to speak of owing each other nothing except the debt love and he uses the word for both owing and debt.  It would be hard to miss the point in Greek.  The slave is in the debt of the Master.

Did you have a shiver of recognition?  “Forgive us our debts”.  Yes, it’s the same word.  The unprofitable slave who begs the Master to forgive his obligation, his failure of duty.  Jesus doesn’t pull any punches with this one.  Indebtedness to God is the basis of all my relationship to Him.  Where I seek to remove my indebtedness by my own means, I take the path of appeasement.  God rejects all appeasement!  Why?  Because appeasement presupposes that God is vengeful and angry and that I have the ability to do something about it.  God is never appeased.  Christian salvation is not appeasement.  It is expiation.  We don’t’ remove our debt.  He does.  He expiates it.  He takes it away.  Not because we have earned His forgiveness but because He chooses to love us.  That’s why no credit is due.  We didn’t earn God’s favor.  Even if we did everything we were supposed to do, it is His love that upholds us.

And, of course, for the slave who does not do everything he is supposed to do, there is not even the slightest possibility of merit.  “Forgive us our debts” is an unworthy slave’s prayer.  This is a slave who has not fulfilled his obligation.  Like me.  Like you.

My life is a debt to God.  His grace has kept me on this planet so far.  His grace will bring me into His presence some day.  In the meanwhile, I am obligated to conduct myself as a volunteer for life in His household of slaves.  Slaves that He has elected to adopt as His own children.  I can rejoice in that.  It is worth rejoicing.  But I cannot forget that it is not my doing.  When all is said and done, I will have only scratched the surface of my debt.

But you know what?  He loves me anyway.