a couple of Bible surprises

I've been reading this book for most of my life. I guess I always knew that it was an important book. Around age 15 I started reading the Bible almost every day. It shouldn't surprise me, but it seems like every day there's something new to discover, something that was there all along, waiting to be unearthed, like a treasure hidden in a field (I didn't make that up...)

Sometimes it's a pleasant surprise about who God is, or who I am, or who we are. Sometimes it's Jesus dropping wisdom on the masses, mercy on the undeserving, or slamming the Pharisees for not getting the really important things.

Today it was two-fold.

First, from the book of the Exodus, God tells Moses to do the unexpected, leading Israel into a dead end, with Pharaoh's army hot on their heels. As Pharaoh approaches, the Israelites start to whine. Moses (with a little smile on his face, I imagine) tells them: "Stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today."

God them speaks to Moses: Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!

Stand still, and get moving. Watch the Lord rescue, and start moving out through the unexpected path the Lord chooses.

Second, and a little harder for me to get my head around, Jesus is talking to his disciples in Luke 17:

When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.'

Sounds kind of harsh, doesn't it? That doesn't sound like "You are my friends" and other warm fuzzy stuff. I'm sure that it's true, but I don't know what to make of it. Was there something going on between Jesus and his buds? It seems like Jesus is laying down the smack, telling them that they ought to be obedient without expecting a fanfare or big celebration for their obedience.

I wonder what was going on...