Luke 17: 1 - 6 (NIV): 1 Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that
cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person
through whom they come. 2 It would be better for him to be thrown
into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of
these little ones to sin. 3 So watch yourselves.
"If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents,
forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in a day, and
seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." 5 The apostles said to the LORD,
"Increase our faith!" 6 He replied, "If you have faith as small
as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be
uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.
Jesus never taught that a partial commitment would do. He always taught total faith, total allegiance, and total devotion. This passage shows this. It begins with a warning: that we will answer for causing children to sin. No one should ever think that he will get away with sinning. There will be a day of reckoning for all of our actions. Numbers 32:23 says, “…and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.” A Christian will be forgiven, of course, but sin always has its consequences. We must not put limits on our good behavior.
Yes we are our brother's keeper. Jesus said to hold each other accountable; to rebuke fellow Christians who are caught up in sin. We must do this without being judgmental, but there is a balance and we must find it. And if he asks for it, we give him forgiveness, over and over. We do not put limits on our forgiveness, just as God doesn't.
And we do not put limits on our faith. It starts small and grows as we use it, like a muscle. Jesus says, in effect, that if we have any faith, we have faith. Use what you have and don't limit it. God will reward us for having and using our faith.
If we continue to read this chapter, we see that our devotion to him must not be limited either. It is a total commitment, a total faith. A faith without limits.
Jesus never taught that a partial commitment would do. He always taught total faith, total allegiance, and total devotion. This passage shows this. It begins with a warning: that we will answer for causing children to sin. No one should ever think that he will get away with sinning. There will be a day of reckoning for all of our actions. Numbers 32:23 says, “…and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.” A Christian will be forgiven, of course, but sin always has its consequences. We must not put limits on our good behavior.
Yes we are our brother's keeper. Jesus said to hold each other accountable; to rebuke fellow Christians who are caught up in sin. We must do this without being judgmental, but there is a balance and we must find it. And if he asks for it, we give him forgiveness, over and over. We do not put limits on our forgiveness, just as God doesn't.
And we do not put limits on our faith. It starts small and grows as we use it, like a muscle. Jesus says, in effect, that if we have any faith, we have faith. Use what you have and don't limit it. God will reward us for having and using our faith.
If we continue to read this chapter, we see that our devotion to him must not be limited either. It is a total commitment, a total faith. A faith without limits.
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