In The Word
Read Luke 17:1-19
Instructions
17 He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you.
7 “Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down to eat’? 8 But will he not say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink’? 9 He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he?10 So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’”
Ten Lepers Cleansed
11 While He was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; 13 and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”14 When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.”And as they were going, they were cleansed. 15 Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, 16 and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they? 18 Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.”
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
In speaking to the disciples, Jesus teaches us about sinful behavior in both our lives and other people’s lives. All of our behavior should honor God and show others the way to act in a godly manner. This means we need to have our lives look like Scripture because people are watching us. Any sinful behavior on our part could influence them to sin also.
When another person sins, we have two responsibilities. The first is to talk to them to help them see their sin so they can correct it, which is best done in love and in private. Their sin should concern us because if they continue in their sin, then it could lead them away from God. Out of love we watch over each other and do everything to keep each other from sinning.
Our second responsibility is to forgive them if their sin is against us, even if that sin happens repeatedly. Our response is not to become offended by holding a grudge, getting angry, desiring ill against them, or talking bad about them. Rather, we are to be like the Father who forgives us immediately when we confess our sins.
The disciples’ response after hearing Jesus’s teaching was, “Increase our faith!” Being holy takes the faith to believe that it is possible through the power of God’s Spirit. Furthermore, faith is required to forgive others; we must trust God to take care of the consequences and work everything out for our good.