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Gospel Reading for November 10, 2026 – Luke 17: 7-10
PURE HEART
Jesus said to the Apostles: “Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’? Would he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished’? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’”
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It is common for some church volunteers to think that because they are not paid for the work they do for the Church, the Church owes them something—or, more accurately, that God owes them something for the work they do for his Church.
Having this mindset can lead to complications, such as feeling bad when they are corrected and because of this decide that they no longer want to serve. Some even expect to be given special treatment or think they are more entitled than other churchgoers. Volunteers, like everyone else, sometimes need to be corrected. Although their unpaid service deserves appreciation, it does not exempt them from accountability.
When we think about it, God cannot owe us anything because he is the giver of all the good things we have, and that includes our ability to serve.
Does this mean that God is a taskmaster? Well, a taskmaster imposes his will strictly and demandingly on those under him, assigning them a heavy workload and expecting high output.
God is the opposite. He gives us free will to accept the mission he calls us to, expects us to perform it to the best of our ability, and equips us with the grace to do it. He does not expect us to do things in return for all the blessings we receive from him each day.
Perhaps those of us who serve God with this mindset need to make a paradigm shift. When we serve God with a PURE HEART—not only in the Church but also by serving his little ones and those in need—we are the ones who gain. It gives us purpose and direction in life and moves us closer to eternal life.
Lord God, we wish to serve you all the days of our lives! Amen.
