WHEN DUTY CALLS
Luke 17:1-10
On July 4, 1976, Israeli commandos made a daring on the Entebbe International Airport, rescuing 103 Jewish hostages. In 15 minutes, the soldiers killed the seven kidnappers and set the captives free. But three hostages were also killed during Operation Entebbe. As the commandos entered the terminal, they shouted in Hebrew, “Get down! Crawl!” The Jewish hostages understood and dropped to the floor, while the kidnappers were left standing and were shot. But two the hostages hesitated, perhaps to see what was happening, and were also cut down. One young man was lying down and actually stood up when the commandos entered the airport. He, too, was shot with bullets meant for the enemy. Had these three obeyed the soldier’s command, they would have been freed with the rest of the captives.
The kingdom of God has executed a successful raid at the cross, where the atoning blood of Jesus delivered us from the bondage of sin. But the sovereign grace of God that sets us free through Christ also binds us to obedience to Christ. Refusal to obey is alignment with the enemy. Of course, obedience to Christ does not save you, cannot save you. Sinners are saved by grace through faith in Christ – plus or minus nothing. But salvation is marked by obedience. We must obey when duty calls. The proper attitude of Christian discipleship resolves, “IF IT IS GOD’S WILL, I WILL!” What does it mean to follow Jesus with a spirit of obedience? According to Luke 17:1-10, obedience to Jesus requires holy fear, unlimited forgiveness, genuine faith, and humble faithfulness.
I. OBEDIENCE TO JESUS REQUIRES HOLY FEAR.
Luke 17 begins with bad news. Verse 1 says: “And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come.” Temptations to sin or “offenses” are things that cause others to fall into sin or fall away from God. It is to cause someone to stumble because of your behavior, statements, attitudes, or lifestyle. Christians may say and do things that cause others to stumble. Jesus says that these temptations to sin are inevitable. Nothing can stop them from happening. They are an undeniable reality of our fallen human nature. There goes your dream of finding a perfect church! It is impossible that no offenses should come. But the consequences of these offenses are grave. Jesus says, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come!” Woe is a statement of divine judgment. Jesus warns of the severe consequences one will suffer if you cause others to stumble.
In verse 2, Jesus describes these consequences in graphic terms: “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.” A Millstone was a huge boulder used to crush grain. The ancients would flatten a piece of stone and shape it into a circle. Then they would place the huge millstone on top of it, which would be tied to an animal, slave, or prisoner to pull. And the grain would be crushed into wheat as the heavy millstone rolled over it. It was called grinding the mill. Jesus warns, “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.” This is the Jesus’ response to those who feel it is all right to live any kind of way. This is Jesus’ response to those who think God is too loving and gracious to punish wrongdoers. This is Jesus’ response to those who say, “It’s okay. God understands.” The Lord says it is better to die a cruel, gruesome, tragic death than to answer to God for causing young, weak or immature believes to stumble into sin.
R. KENT HUGHES writes, “I must confess that I do not understand what woe could await a true believer who has scandalized others away from Jesus Christ that could make a horrible death preferable, but I believe what the Savior is saying.” So do I. And so should you. In fact, we should ask the Lord to help us to believe this warning so deeply that it produces a holy fear that disciplines us to live obediently. This is what Philippians 2:12 means when it says: “work out you own salvation with fear and trembling.” “Fear and trembling” is an idiom for a holy and healthy fear of God that moves you to do right. NORMAN CRAWFORD’S comment is quite helpful: “Careless offense is a terrible sin, intentional offense is an even greater evil, but both will meet with just judgment.”
So what should you do to avoid becoming a temptation to sin for others? In verse 3, Jesus says, “Pay attention to yourselves!” We often make a mess our relationships by focusing on our needs and other people’s character, rather than focusing on our character and other people’s needs. Jesus says pay attention to yourselves. Take heed to yourselves. Watch out for yourselves. We are to be on guard to keep from doing things that cause other people to stumble and, more importantly, to keep us from facing the judgment of God. We should constantly pray the words of Psalm 19:14: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”
II. OBEDIENCE TO JESUS REQUIRES UNLIMITED FORGIVENESS.
There is tension between verses 1-2 and verses 3-4. In verses 1-2, Jesus says you ought to treat yourself with severity before you do something to cause others to sin. But in verses 3-4, Jesus says you ought to treat others with mercy when they sin against you. Romans 12:19 says, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’” Vengeance is God’s business, not yours. Luke 17:3 explains what you should do when someone sins against you: “Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.”
Notice what Jesus does not say. He does not say that when someone sins against you; find another church. Few things stunt a believer’s growth than hopping from church to church. The process of spiritual maturity necessitates that you learn how to work through issues in a godly way when you are offended. Likewise, Jesus does not say you should simply ignore it when when someone sins against you. Indeed, there are times when ignoring a wrong is the right thing to do. 1 Peter 4:8 says, “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” But Jesus is speaking here about sinful acts that cannot be ignored. In these instances, you have a personal responsibility to seek reconciliation. According to verse 3, this process involves two responsibilities.
First, you must rebuke the sinning person. You must go and tell the person the wrong he or she has done. Do not tell others what the person has done. Go tell it to the person who has offended you. Have the courage to address the matter directly and forthrightly. This is not a license to tell them off or cuss them out. You should speak the truth in love with the goal of reconciliation. If the person repents, you have a second responsibility: forgive. The reference to repentance emphasizes the goal of reconciliation. Forgiveness delivers the offended from bitterness and releases them to be reconciled to the offender. But note that Jesus does not address what to do if the brother does not repent. He places the burden of responsibility on you. It is your duty to forgive the brother who repents. Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind toward one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” We are sinners that deserve eternal damnation. But God has forgiven us because of the blood and righteousness of Christ. And the fact that God forgave us when we repented of our sins obligates us to forgive our brother who repents of his sin against us. We are most like beasts when we killed. We are most like humans when we judge. But we are most like God when we forgive.
The duty to forgive is a lifestyle, not an event. In verse 4, Jesus says: “and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” Rabbinical tradition taught Jews to forgive an offender three times. The fourth offense was seen as evidence of a lack of repentance. So they were not obligated to forgive beyond the third offense. But Jesus goes beyond the reasonable standard and says that we ought to forgive our brother seven times. In fact, Jesus sets an unreasonable standard: “If he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” This unreasonable standard teaches us that forgiveness is a way of life disciples of Christ. Christian love does not keep score of wrongdoing. It freely forgives. In Matthew 18:21, Peter asked, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” In Matthew 18:22, Jesus answers, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.” Obedience to Jesus requires unlimited forgiveness.
One day, a Christian woman reminded by a friend of a cruel thing that had happened to her some years previously. But she seemed not to remember the incident. “Don’t you remember the wrong that was done you?” the friend asked. She answered calmly, “No, I distinctly remember forgetting that.” And may the Lord give you the same kind of holy amnesia that enables you to forgive without limits
III. OBEDIENCE TO JESUS REQUIRES GENUINE FAITH.
Verse 5 records how the boys responded to the Jesus’ call for unlimited forgiveness: “The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” In response to the command to forgive, the disciples did not ask for more love, holiness, patience, wisdom, or power. They asked for increased faith. This was a proper request in that forgiveness is a matter of faith. Forgiveness is not primarily about mental health, emotional relief, or psychological wellbeing. It is a soul-deep issue that is shaped – one way or another – by your confidence in God. This is a word for those who struggle with forgiving someone who has betrayed your trust. Don’t confuse trust and forgiveness. There are more than 30 “one another” commands in the New Testament. “Trust one another” is not one of them. In fact, Romans 3:4 says: “Let God be true though every one were a liar.” So even when you are dealing with a person you cannot trust, you can and must forgive them with confidence in God. Forgiveness is a matter of faith in goodness, faithfulness, wisdom, justice, and providence of God.
So the boys prayed, “Increase our faith!” But Jesus denied their request – in graphic terms. Verse 6 records the Lord’s response: “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” Matthew 17:20 records a parallel statement. In Matthew, Jesus speaks of moving mountains. In Luke, Jesus speaks of moving mulberry trees. In the Matthew passage, Jesus is responding to his disciples’ failure to perform a miracle. And the statement about moving mountains challenged the disciples to trust God to use them to do what seemed to be impossible. But that’s not the case in Luke 17:6. This statement is more judgmental, corrective, and even sarcastic. In response to the disciple’s request for greater faith, Jesus says, “If you have little-bitty, itsy-bitsy faith, you can command a tree to be uprooted from the ground and transplanted in the sea.” In other words, you do not need more faith. You just need to obey what Jesus commands.
There is an important point here you need to get: Obedience and maturity are separate issues. They are related. But we must not confuse the two. Maturity is an ongoing process that will not be completed until you meet the Lord. Obedience is the personal and present-tense obligation of every disciple. In Luke 6:46, Jesus asks, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I tell you?” Genuine saving faith is demonstrated by obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. The maturity of your faith, or lack thereof, is not a legitimate excuse for disobedience. The object of your faith is always more important the size of it. Big faith in an unworthy object is useless. But little faith in the dynamic presence and sovereign authority of God can empower you to resist temptation, live obediently, and endure hardship. So let me ask you a question? How big is your God? If your God is the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, you have divine enablement to obey whatever Jesus commands.
YIELD NOT TO TEMPTATION, FOR YIELDING IS SIN
EACH VICTORY WILL HELP YOU ANOTHER TO WIN
FIGHT MANFULLY ONWARD, DARK PASSIONS SUBDUE
LOOK EVER TO JESUS, HE WILL CARRY YOU THROUGH
ASK THE SAVIOR TO HELP YOU
COMFORT, STRENGTHEN, AND KEEP YOU
JESUS IS WILLING TO AIDE YOU
HE WILL CARRY YOU THROUGH
IV. OBEDIENCE TO JESUS REQUIRES TOTAL SUBMISSION.
In verses 7-9, Jesus drives home his point about obedience with a mini-parable that consists of three rhetorical questions. Verse 7 asks, “Will any of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’?” The natural, immediate, and assumed answer would have been no. Verse 8 continues, “Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’?” The natural, immediate, and assumed answer would have been yes. Verse 9 concludes this trilogy of questions by asking, “Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded?” Again, the natural, immediate, and assumed answer would have been no.
The emphasis of these questions is on the prerogative of the master. The master owns the servant. The master gives the orders. The master expects the servant’s obedience. The servant serves the master. The master does not even thank the servant. The master is this parable represents the sovereign authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is God. You are not. The Lord Jesus is the sovereign master of every true disciple. It is his right to give the orders. It is our responsibility to obey. Because Jesus is the master and we are his servants, we must obey whatever he commands.
One day, a woman was washing her breakfast dishes when she saw her five-year-old neighbor headed toward the back porch. She had just finished painting the back-porch handrails, so the shouted, “Come around to the front porch, Jimmy! There’s wet paint on the porch rails.” “I’ll be careful,” Jimmy replied, not turning from his path. “No, Jimmy! Don’t come up the steps,” she shouted, knowing of Jimmy’s tendency to mess things up. “I’ll be careful,” he said again, by now dangerously close to the steps. “Jimmy, stop!” she shouted one more time. “I don’t want carefulness. I want obedience.” Likewise, the Lord doesn’t want your carefulness. He wants you to acknowledge his authority and obey his commands.
In verse 10, Jesus gives the closing application to this parable: “So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’” The application of this parable is a shift of perspective. The master is the protagonist of the parable. Verses 7-9 emphasize the master’s sovereign right to give unchallengeable commands. But verse 10 shifts from the authority of the master to the responsibility of the servant. Jesus says, “So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded…” This condition disqualifies us from making any claims on God. Jesus says you only have the right to claim something from God when you have done everything you have been commanded. This sinks us all. None of us have been practiced perfect obedience. We don’t live up to our own standards, much less God’s righteous standards.
For the sake of argument, let’s suppose you have done everything you have been commanded. Jesus says: “So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, says, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’” Even at our best we are unworthy, unprofitable, and useless servants. The Greek adjective is the same one used in the PARABLE OF THE TALENTS in Matthew 25:30, where the master called the guy who buried his one talent in the sand a “worthless servant.” We are unworthy servants. This does not mean we are not valuable to God. To the contrary, we are so valuable to God that he made him who knew no sin to become sin for us that we may become the righteous of God in him. We are so valuable to God that he laid on Christ the iniquity of us all. We are so valuable to God that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
But you should never place stipulations or conditions on God. The Lord does not owe you anything. Your obedience is not an investment you make as God’s equal partner. It is the duty you owe as a servant of God.
• It is your duty to watch out for yourself.
• It is your duty to avoid temptation and practice holiness.
• It is your duty to forgive those who offend you.
• It is your duty to obey Jesus no matter what.
• It is your duty to serve the Lord with gladness.
You are just a servant who is obligated to obey when duty calls. The servant is always a debtor of service. The master is never a debtor of reward. F.B. MEYER says it well: “The profit does not begin until the servant goes beyond his obligation.” God does not owe you anything. But here’s the good news. Our God is a benevolent Master who loves to bless his faithful servants with rewards that do not deserve. Even though we have not been obedient servants, we have good Master. In Luke 12:37, Jesus says “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.” I wouldn’t believe that statement if it wasn’t in black and white right in the word of God. Jesus says that if you serve him now, he’ll serve you later.
THE SERVICE OF JESUS TRUE PLEASURE AFFORDS
IN HIM THERE IS JOY WITHOUT AN ALLOY;
TIS HEAVEN TO TRUST HIM AND REST ON HIS WORDS;
IT PAYS TO SERVE JESUS EACH DAY.
IT PAYS TO SERVE JESUS WHATEVER MADE BETIDE
IT PAYS TO BE TRUE WHATEVER YOU MAY DO;
TIS RICHES OF MERCY IN HIM TO ABIDE
IT PAYS TO SERVE JESUS EACH DAY
THROUGH SOMETIMES THE SHADOWS MAY HANG OVER THE WAY
AND SORROWS MAY COME TO BECKON US HOME
OUR PRECIOUS REDEEMER EACH TOIL WILL REPAY
IT PAYS TO SERVE JESUS EACH DAY
