Skip to main content

184. Duty To God And Others


Luke 17:1-4, 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 & 10:12-13
Key Verse: "So watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him."
Luke 17:3

There really isn't anything new here in these statements of Jesus. We have touched all of these themes before. He states His concern for the "little ones," (Matthew 18:6). He restates His theme of forgiveness, (Matthew 18:21-35). He is speaking to a different audience, but His message is consistent.

Judas is the one exception. Judas heard it all, including Jesus' warning: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come." (Luke 17:1) Judas heard this. If only he had heeded this warning. I think that it is significant that Jesus spoke these words to His disciples, not to the crowd.

If only Judas had also remembered Jesus’ words concerning forgiveness. Even Judas would have been forgiven if He had asked.

These words of Jesus, all of them, are not just lessons for us. Jesus lived what He taught to show us how it should be done.

Jesus calls us to watch ourselves. (Luke 17:3) He calls us to examine ourselves to learn if there is any sinful way in us. We are human and susceptible to sin. Just as we would like to be forgiven, so we too need to be willing to forgive others. Often, we blow it again and need to ask for forgiveness again and, hopefully, others will do the same toward us.

Jesus also reminds us here to hold one another accountable. "If your brother sins rebuke him, if he repents, forgive him. (Luke 17:3) Forgiveness doesn't mean ignoring sin for the sake of peace. God often told the people of Israel to rid themselves of the uncleanness among them. The same is true for us, especially within the church community. We cannot afford to ignore one another's sins. That weakens the body and keeps the ministry unhealthy. Help each other to get healthy. Forgive when they stumble again and encourage the healthy part of one another to become strong.

The disciples would need to remember this after the crucifixion. It wouldn't do to have them tear one another apart and point out the ways that they had each sinned against Jesus. Instead, they would all need to acknowledge one another's sins, confess and then forgive one another. We don't read of the disciples fighting among each other after Jesus’ death. If they had been men of the world only, they certainly could have started up a blame game that would have trumped any in world history. Instead, they clung to each other for comfort and safety. They must have remembered Jesus’ words here. Only with Jesus would this have been possible.

Could you, in your church, be that healthy and loving toward the others in your congregation? Do you watch yourself, guide little ones to safety and offer forgiveness, again and again, to those who ask?

Hymn: "Holy God, We Praise Thy Name"

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

211. The Sons of Thunder's Request

Matthew 20:20-28 , Mark 10:35-45 , Key verse: "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all." Mark 10:43B-44 In our readings for yesterday, in which Jesus outlined what was about to happen to Him, for His disciples, the passage in Luke ends: "The disciples did not understand any of this. It's meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what He was talking about." ( Luke 18:34 ) Now, we see just how truly clueless they were. Jesus had laid out a plan before them of pain and suffering and death and now James and John are focused on a promotion. The disconnect is so obvious. It's really not important to know whether James and john came up with this request on their own or if their mother put them up to it. The request was made and James and John thought that they could handle the responsibility that would come with it. What is that saying, "Fools rush in where angels fe...
Post a Comment
Read more

204. Come Like a Child

Psalm 127 , Matthew 19:13-15 , Luke 18:15-17 , Mark 10:13-16 Key Verse: Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14 The attitude of the disciples isn't much different than the attitude of many people, even Christians, today. Instead of seeing children as a blessing from the Lord, too many regard them as a burden to bear that gets in the way of our own selfish happiness. Family size is determined by what we think we can afford rather than openness to God's blessing, trusting God to provide. Satan hates children. Children represent innocence. The sooner he can corrupt and or damage a child, the happier he is. This is why Jesus warned in Matthew 18:6: "If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drown in the depths of the sea." To corrupt or damage ...
Post a Comment
Read more

174. Pleading for the Fig Tree

Proverbs 27:18 , Luke 13:6-9 Key Verse: He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who looks after his master will be honored. Proverbs 27:18 We have here three main characters: a master, who acquired the tree in hopes of eventually enjoying its fruit, a servant, who looks to the tree to reflect his care and attention, and lastly, the tree itself. The master has the right to expect his investment to pay off. The servant, who has obviously put much effort into the tree, would also like to see fruit. The servant's interest is not only to show his own talent in gardening, but because he wants to please his master. Both the servant and the master are dependent upon the tree to do what it was designed to do. Their little parable is an interesting way for Jesus to finish off His exhortation to, "repent or perish."  God is the Master. He had a purpose for you before you were even born. ( Jeremiah 1:5 & Psalm 139:16 ) He planted you on this earth to ful...
Post a Comment
Read more