Voice: Doreen
Today is Friday, 26th of June. The night has passed, and the day lies open before us; let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.
Amen.
Psalm 55:1-8
1 Give ear to my prayer, O God,
and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!
2Attend to me, and answer me;
I am restless in my complaint and I moan,
3because of the noise of the enemy,
because of the oppression of the wicked.
For they drop trouble upon me,
and in anger they bear a grudge against me.
4My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5Fear and trembling come upon me,
and horror overwhelms me.
6And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest;
7 yes, I would wander far away;
I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah
8I would hurry to find a shelter
from the raging wind and tempest.”
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as It was in the beginning, is
now, and shall be forever. Amen.
Luke 17:7-10
7“Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’?
8Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’?
9Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded?
10So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
We have only done what was our duty
We have all met people who have been hurt because they do not feel appreciated. In fact, all over the world—in offices, classrooms, homes, and even churches—people carry wounds in their hearts because they believe they are not valued.
They have worked hard.
They have sacrificed much.
They have given generously of their time, their energy, and their money.
Yet it all seems to have gone unnoticed. Others receive the promotion. Someone else gets the recognition. The bonus never comes. Even a simple “thank you” is absent.
We live in a generation where appreciation is almost regarded as a right. Managers are expected to affirm, reward, and incentivise their workers. Organisations invest heavily in recognition programmes because they know that people long to feel valued. When appreciation is perceived to be lacking, resentment grows, complaints multiply, and the workplace can quickly become toxic. And the worst kind are the sulking workers.
When we become preoccupied with being appreciated, disappointment easily gives way to resentment. And no one enjoy being around a sulker. Sulkiness drains the joy from a home, a workplace, or even a church.
The same expectation often finds its way into our spiritual lives. We serve faithfully, volunteer tirelessly, give sacrificially, and quietly hope that someone will notice. If our efforts are overlooked, disappointment can easily give way to self-pity or bitterness.
Into this very human longing for recognition, Jesus tells a startling parable. A servant has spent the day ploughing the fields or tending the sheep. He returns home tired and hungry. Yet his master does not invite him to sit down and rest. Instead, he is told to prepare the evening meal and continue serving. Only after the master has eaten may the servant eat.
Then Jesus asks an uncomfortable question: “Does the master thank the servant because he did what was commanded?” The implied answer is no. The servant has simply fulfilled his duty.
The point is not that God is harsh or ungrateful. Elsewhere Scripture tells us that the Lord delights in His servants and even promises rewards. Rather, Jesus is confronting the subtle pride and sense of entitlement that can creep into our service.
Instead, Jesus teaches His disciples to say, “We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.”
The mature Christian does not serve Christ as though entering into a transaction—“I have done this, therefore You owe me that.” Rather, we serve because He is our Lord. Every act of obedience is simply the grateful response of those who have already received far more than they deserve.
Ironically, those who serve without demanding recognition are often the most joyful workers. They are well liked by their colleagues. For the Christian, our greatest reward is not human applause but the privilege of belonging to Christ and serving Him at all.
We close with this Collect for today:
Almighty God,
you have broken the tyranny of sin
and have sent the Spirit of your Son into our hearts
whereby we call you Father:
give us grace to dedicate our freedom to your service,
that we and all creation may be brought
to the glorious liberty of the children of God;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Be blessed by this Hymn, O Love that will never let me go
1. O love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.
2. O Light that follows all my way,
I yield my flick’ring torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.
3. O Joy that seekest me thru’ pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow thru’ the rain
And feel the promise is not vain
That morn shall tearless be.
4. O cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.
Link to today’s Morning Office
About This Daily Devotion
This weekday devotion is drawn from the Morning Office and is part of a project initiated by Revd Canon Terry Wong, with contributions from clergy and members across various parishes. Each entry includes selected readings from the appointed Psalm and another Scripture passage, accompanied by a reflection and prayer. An audio option is also available, often ending with a hymn or song. We encourage you to both read and listen. Unless otherwise stated, the reflections are written by Revd Wong.
Our aim is to help Anglicans engage more deeply with our rich liturgical tradition, while meeting the devotional needs of today’s believers. This project began on Ash Wednesday 2025 and is offered on weekdays only.
For feedback, please write to us at info@mpcc.org.sg. We also welcome donations to MPCC. Information on how you may give can be found in this link.
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