YOU MUST FORGIVE THEM

Passage: Luke 17:1-10

Key verse: 4

NIV

Sin, Faith, Duty

17 Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble(A) are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come.(B) 2 It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones(C) to stumble.(D) 3 So watch yourselves.

“If your brother or sister[a] sins against you, rebuke them;(E) and if they repent, forgive them.(F) 4 Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”(G)

5 The apostles(H) said to the Lord,(I) “Increase our faith!”

6 He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed,(J) you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.(K)

7 “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8 Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me(L) while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? 9 Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”(M)

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Footnotes
  1. Luke 17:3 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a fellow disciple, whether man or woman.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Temptations to Sin

17 And he said to his disciples, (A)“Temptations to sin[a] are (B)sure to come, but (C)woe to the one through whom they come! 2 (D)It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.[b] 3 Pay attention to yourselves! (E)If your brother sins, (F)rebuke him, and if he repents, (G)forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you (H)seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

Increase Our Faith

5 (I)The apostles said to the Lord, (J)“Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, (K)“If you had faith like (L)a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this (M)mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

Unworthy Servants

7 “Will any one of you who has a servant[c] plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and (N)dress properly,[d] and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are (O)unworthy servants;[e] we have only done what was our duty.’”

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Footnotes
  1. Luke 17:1 Greek Stumbling blocks
  2. Luke 17:2 Greek stumble
  3. Luke 17:7 Or bondservant; also verse 9
  4. Luke 17:8 Greek gird yourself
  5. Luke 17:10 Or bondservants
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. 'Increase our faith!' (1-6)

Jesus knows our weaknesses and the stumbling blocks in this world, so he says: 'watch yourselves!' There is no excuse for those who cause others to sin. But when others sin against us, we want to tie a millstone around their neck. Jesus expects us to unconditionally forgive them. To this the apostles cry out: 'Increase our faith!' Unless Jesus gives them more faith, they cannot obey. Jesus explains that the size of faith is not important; even small faith can uproot fixed things. The quality of our faith is what matters. What kind of faith should we have?

2. We have only done our duty (7-1

)

Jesus gives an illustration of a servant who serves his master without expecting to being served himself. He knows his place and does his duty. We are those saved by the grace of Jesus, unworthy as we are. He forgives all our sins, transforms us into his image, and allows us to work with him for his kingdom purpose. An attitude of humble obedience to 'watch ourselves' and 'forgive them' is only our duty. This is the quality of faith Jesus expects.

Prayer: Father, although I am unworthy, you forgive me. Help me humbly obey you by watching myself and forgiving others by faith today.

One Word: Forgive others by faith in Jesus