From the Pulpit: Doing One’s Duty

Jesus said, “So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’” - Luke 17:10

On January 9, 2012, the family of George DeGrazio reported that he was missing. The police found his car in Ft. Collins, Colo. They began a search of businesses, restaurants, theaters, houses and motels, asking people, “Have you seen this man?”

The answer was always, “No.”

Finally, on January 14, 2012, the body of George DeGrazio was found. He was found in a movie theater restroom after workers noticed an odor and forced their way in.

The coroner determined that George had five days earlier died of a heart attack in that bathroom. For five days the police had searched, for five days George’s family had worried. Both the search and the worry had been unnecessary.

After I had read this story about George DeGrazio, I couldn’t help saying to myself, “I guess that theater doesn’t clean its restrooms very often.”

I’m not sure which thought bothered me more...the undiscovered body or the dirty restrooms. Jesus would have understood.

Jesus often got upset with people who didn’t do their God-given jobs. He got upset with the Pharisees who got busy with the unimportant things and forgot that which was important. Even today, I don’t think that Jesus isn’t very pleased with the people at a theater, who didn’t follow up on a request by the police, who didn’t check the theater before they locked the doors, and who didn’t bother to clean a restroom.

I believe that Jesus has the right to tell us to do our duty. He has the right because He is our Lord and because He has given us a perfect example of duty doing.

When you read the Gospels...Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, you will see how Jesus always did what was expected of Him.

Before He was ever born and long past His death on Calvary’s cross, Jesus has done that which was necessary to save us. He has given His time, His future, His strength, His life, so that all people might have salvation, forgiveness and eternal life.

Now He asks you and me to do the same. In our families, at work, at school, at our churches, we are to use the talents God has given us to show our appreciation to the Triune God.

You and I are to do the best we can, so God might be glorified and a witness can be made to a lost and lone world. That way, when He comes to judge the world, we will humbly be able to confess: “We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.”

Oh, by the way, the theater chain in the story I shared with you had fired five people and had renewed its policy for the nightly closing of its theaters. Thought you might want to know.