Day by Day with Martin Luther

Read: 1st Samuel 26:1-28:25 John 11:1-54 Proverbs 15:22-23

“The Servant’s Wage”

“Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ,…”
[Ephesians 6:5-6]

A servant, for example, who works and neither sees nor thinks any farther than this: “my master gives me wages and that’s why I serve him; otherwise I have no regard for him.” He does not have a pure heart or intention, for he works only to obtain a bit of bread. When this ceases, his service also ceases. But a Christian ought to say: “I am going to work because my master pays me or does not pay me, or because he is good or bad; but rather because the Word of God is there and tells me: “servants, be obedient to your masters, as to Christ.” Then we will work from the heart. Then, we will see a true work, a godly work, a true work performed out of a pure heart, seeking to serve our Heavenly Master, in serving our earthly master.