Luke 17:1-10 - Unworthy Servants
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction:
We live in a me-first world today. Narcissism is in full bloom in our culture of selfies and self-worship shrines (also known as Facebook, Instagram).
Entitlement is also the story of today. People think that just because they participate in something that they should be rewarded. The generation of everyone gets a trophy has had catastrophic effects.
According to a recent study, the Millennial generation’s entitlement is pretty impressive. About 40% of Millennials expect a promotion every 1-2 years. They also gave the highest responses of any generation when it came to expecting raises, promotions and bonuses more than once a year (1).
Our nation is in trouble.
Jesus is about to challenge this entitlement concept in our passage for today. We are going to see him teach on what the Lord’s servant should value - in essence what should be foundational for the Lord’s servant.
Let’s dive into today’s Scripture and see what He has to say…
Read Full Scripture:
And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come!
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.
Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him,
and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
And the Lord said, “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.
“Will any one 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’?
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’?
Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded?
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.’ ”
Prayer
Jesus gives four different important teachings in this section on what it means to be a servant of the Lord. The first is…
I. The Lord’s Servant Avoids False Teaching (1-2)
I. The Lord’s Servant Avoids False Teaching (1-2)
Luke 17:1a (ESV)
And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come…
The last section had been directed at the Pharisees. He had been rebuking them for their love of money. He now is focused on the disciples and is teaching directly to them.
He starts off by warning them that temptations to sin are sure to come. In other words temptations are inevitable. This is actually the only place where the Greek word for ‘sure to come’ or inevitable occurs in the New Testament. It refers to something that is guaranteed to occur.
Temptations are going to come. Temptations refer to stumbling blocks or traps that lead someone into sin. These are things that lure people away from God and into sin.
We as believers are called to fight against temptations. Listen to a few of the following verses that discuss our fight against temptation:
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
Here we see that we should put on the whole armor of God to fight against temptation.
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Here we see Jesus asserting that temptation will come, but we should pray that we do not enter into temptation. In other words we need to pray that we do not stumble and sin when temptation comes.
One of the most direct and intense verses on fighting temptation comes from Hebrews 12:4:
In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
The author of Hebrews encourages us to fight intensely against temptation.
Here we see that fighting temptation is hard work. It takes intentionality. It takes suiting up with the armor of God. It takes time in Word and in prayer.
How are you doing in your fight against temptation? Are you having more victories than losses? Seek Biblical counsel and seek accountability from fellow trustworthy believers to help you stand firm against the temptations of the evil one.
We know that we can have victory over temptation because of Christ. He has proven that it is possible to overcome testing (Hebrews 4:15). We also see that in every temptation, God gives us a way out - see 1 Corinthians 10:13:
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
Through the power of Christ working in us, we can stand firm and not fall into temptation.
Moving forward, we see that there is another important factor that comes up. Not only do we need to resist temptation, but we need to be sure that we are not the one leading others into temptation…
And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 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.
Although temptations are sure to come, woe to the one through whom they come. God takes sin very seriously. When one leads another into sin, God's judgment burns against that person. Jesus appears to allude to an even greater judgment to those who cause little ones to sin.
There are a couple of translations of this phrase little ones. The phrase comes from the Greek word mikros (mee-crose) which literally means small, little, or young. It very well could refer to young children. However, some think that it refers to new believers. It seems that the context would likely include both - new believers as well as young believers who would be new converts as well.
Whatever the case, Jesus has quite a judgment for those who lead others into temptation. He says that it would be better for a millstone to be hung around his neck and cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.
That is quite a harsh statement. A millstone was a monstrosity of a stone that was used to grind grain. Most of them were so big that most humans were not able to pull the rope attached to it to make it move so oxen or donkeys would be used to grind the grain. A stone this large would surely take one to the depths of the sea quickly.
The most common way that new believers are led into temptation is by false teachers. We have a great many of them these days - teaching that Biblical sexuality isn’t important - teaching that there are other ways to God other than Jesus - teaching that purity is a thing of the past.
There is great condemnation on those who lead new converts astray. Listen to Paul blast those who approve of sin in Romans 1:32
Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
Paul says this after a long list of sins that are done by debased sinners. Yet, these who know the truth and yet give approval to lies and false teaching have a greater condemnation.
God takes sin seriously. He takes false teaching seriously. In order to be a servant of the Lord, we must know the truth and avoid false teaching. This is best done through study of the Word of God and doing life with other Biblically solid believers in a local church fellowship. We need to be sharpening one another (Proverbs 27:17) as we study the Word and encourage one another to obey the Lord’s commands.
May we avoid false teaching and seek to honor the Lord with our lives.
Next we see that…
Scripture References: Ephesians 6:11, Matthew 26:41, Hebrews 12:4, Hebrews 4:15, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Romans 1:32, Proverbs 27:17
II. The Lord’s Servant Forgives (3-4)
II. The Lord’s Servant Forgives (3-4)
Luke 17:3a (ESV)
Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him…
After expressing His hatred towards sin and temptation, Jesus then teaches on the need for forgiveness and accountability.
He starts off by telling the disciples to pay attention to themselves. In other words, be intentional and watchful of what you do. Be sure that you lead well and teach well. Take great care to avoid sinning against others, and take care that you also avoid grudges against those who sin against you.
After this admonition comes comes a very important teaching here that has been missed and skipped over by much of the modern church. The postmodern movement of relative truth, acceptance of sin, and a disdain for truth and accountability has caused the church to turn a blind eye to this Scripture and Scriptures like it.
Notice the word that is given here. Rebuke. If your brother (meaning a fellow believer) sins, rebuke him.
The word rebuke here is meant to be a stern warning or reprimand. This is not meant to be a weak statement - but instead it is to be a strong admonition for one to repent.
In other words, if your brother commits adultery, rebuke him. If he lacks generosity, rebuke him. If he lacks a dedication to the Lord and His church, rebuke him. If he is gossiping rebuke him. If he is speaking obscenities and foolish talk, rebuke him. If he is expressing false teaching, rebuke him.
Now at the risk of over-correction, we must understand our own sinfulness. Jesus tells us to make sure that we take the plank or log out of our own eye before we look at the speck in our brother’s eye (Matthew 7:3-5). Rebuking a brother or sister in Christ requires much prayer and humility. If you cannot rebuke a brother or sister with humility, you will bring sin upon yourself and you would be better to remain silent. A rebuke is for the benefit of others and not for yourself.
Correct him with the Scriptures. This is not in your own power or from any righteousness that comes from yourself. You are to rebuke him with the Word of God.
If Jesus’s command to rebuke wasn’t hard enough, it gets even harder…
Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
It is very hard to approach those in sin and rebuke them and gently correct them. But what if they are sinning against you? How many times should you forgive them?
Jesus says that you should forgive them continually. The number seven is a number of completion. He means that you should never stop forgiving.
There are some pastors and theologians that have taken this Scripture and not thoroughly taught it in light of the whole of Scripture. We see here that the sinner is repentant. Each time the sinner repents, we are commanded to forgive.
Some theologians have said that this means that we do not need to forgive if the other person is unrepentant. They refer to God’s forgiveness of man which requires repentance in order for forgiveness to be offered.
And they are correct when it comes to vertical forgiveness.
Vertical forgiveness is between us and God. God is perfect and is completely without sin. We can only be saved if we repent, or turn from our sins, and place our faith and trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross shown through His resurrection three days later from the grave. Only then are we offered eternal life and forgiveness because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus.
However, horizontal forgiveness works differently because we are dealing with two parties that are both sinners. There are a couple of important high points we will address today to understand horizontal forgiveness.
Horizontal forgiveness is between two people on earth. Horizontal forgiveness involves both inward forgiveness as well as outward forgiveness which involves reconciliation.
1. Inward Forgiveness - This is God’s command to forgive unconditionally from the heart.
We are called to forgive others because we have been forgiven much. Listen to Jesus teach this in Mark 11:25:
And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
Here we see that forgiving others is necessary for those who wish to be forgiven! Note that there is no qualification for the other person to have repented here.
We see this kind of inward forgiveness expressed by Stephen as he is stoned in Acts 7:60:
And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
The attackers were not repentant, yet Stephen offered his forgiveness freely to them. He held no ill will or resentment.
Jesus also offered forgiveness to those who did not repent in Luke 23:34:
And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.
Inward forgiveness must always occur. It is a command from Scripture as we see in Mark 11:25 as well as Matthew 6:14-15, Colossians 3:13.
We even see in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:12) that we are to forgive our debtors - likely referring to those who have not been reconciled to us yet.
We are called to internally forgive despite the response of someone else.
2. Outward Forgiveness - This is forgiveness that involves repentance and reconciliation.
This is the type of forgiveness seen in Luke 17:3-4. We are to be ready for reconciliation whenever another repents to us. We are not to hold grudges or withhold forgiveness. We must realize how much we have sinned against Christ and thereby understand how we should forgive others as well. Just as He continues to forgive us for our sins, we should forgive others who sin against us.
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant speaks to this Matthew 18:21-35. In this parable we see a servant who had been forgiven a huge debt by the king refuse to forgive the debt of another servant. The king ended up throwing the unforgiving servant into jail for his lack of forgiveness after being forgiven so much.
We should seek reconciliation with those who sin against us if they repent.
Some important clarifications that we need to remember here in light of forgiveness are:
Outward forgiveness leading to reconciliation requires true repentance which is a turning away from sin. We must set appropriate boundaries for those who continue to hurt and sin against us again and again. We are commanded to guard our hearts in Proverbs 4:23. Although we are still to internally forgive, we must be careful to avoid reconciliation with someone who refuses to repent, falsely repents, and continues to harm us.
There are times where some less grievous sins may be covered with love and grace and mercy. We are not to be the sin police and point out every small infraction like a referee.
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
Remember that reconciliation is the goal in the church. Matthew 5:23-24 and Matthew 18:15-17 provide two examples of repentance. In the first we see the person who sinned commanded to make things right. In Matthew 18:15-17, we see the one who was sinned against commanded to make things right. We should graciously and expediently seek to live in peace and unity. Both parties should be trying to make things right in humility and love.
The late David Powlison, a Biblical Counselor wrote:
Seeing that our forgiveness of others has two interconnected parts helps us navigate the opposite messages that one often hears in Christian circles. Some in the church teach, “If you forgive from the heart, then you don’t need to go to the person.” Others teach, “Unless the other person asks for forgiveness, you don’t need to forgive.” Each focuses on a half-truth—and draws a false conclusion. When you put together both halves of what Jesus did and taught on forgiveness, you get a coherent truth.
In summary, the Lord’s servant is a professional forgiver.
The Lord’s servant is also called to be…
Scripture References: Matthew 7:3-5, Mark 11:25, Acts 7:60, Luke 23:34, Matthew 6:14-15, Colossians 3:13, Matthew 6:12, Matthew 18:21-35, Proverbs 4:23, Matthew 5:23-24, Matthew 18:15-17
III. The Lord’s Servant is Faithful (5-6)
III. The Lord’s Servant is Faithful (5-6)
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
The Apostles realized the difficulty of the Lord's commands. Frankly they realized the impossibility of these commands being carried out in their own strength. How were they to avoid being a stumbling block to others? How were they to avoid sinning against one another? How were they to truly forgive one another time and time again?
They realized that they fell short in all of these areas. So, they ask Him to increase their faith. In essence they are asking for their faith to be grown.
Do you see the beautiful humility of the Apostles here?
The key to living the Christian life is realizing the impossibility of living it without the supernatural working of the Holy Spirit within us.
We must realize our own inadequacy if we hope to walk in obedience to Christ. Listen to the Apostle Paul declare his own in inadequacy:
Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God,
Our sufficiency comes from Christ and His Word. We must always remember that we cannot do anything apart from Him as Jesus made crystal clear in John 15:5:
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Jesus then explains the amazing power of even a small amount of faith…
And the Lord said, “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.
He reminds them of the mustard seed. This is the second time that He's mentioned this particular seed in the Gospel of Luke. It was last mentioned in Luke 13:19. He mentions it because of how small that it is. He states that if they have faith even as small as a mustard seed, they can take a tree and toss it into the sea. Obviously, this is a figurative statement. But He is referring to the great difficulty that uprooting a tree with an extensive root system. Clearly this would require a supernatural work of God if one was just to say to the mulberry tree to be uprooted and tossed into the see.
He is teaching them that they are able to do great things in His name - impossible things even. They are able to forgive through His power working in them. They are able to overcome temptation because of His power working in them. They are able to accomplish His will because of the faith that He has placed in them.
These Apostles know where to go for faith – they go the Savior. What a great prayer for us today as well. Increase our faith, Lord!
Theologian D.G. Miller once said:
“… genuine faith can accomplish what experience, reason, and probability would deny, if it is exercised within God’s will.”
D.G. Miller
Christ is teaching the Apostles that faith grows from testing. When we come to huge obstacles in life that seem impossible, Jesus reminds us that anything is possible through His power.
A commonly quoted verse regarding this is in found in Philippians 4:13:
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
This means that anything He calls us to, He will equip us to do.
Only be sure to be a faithful servant - turning to Christ who is the great provider and grower of our faith.
Now we come to our final teaching from Jesus in this Scripture…
Scripture References: 2 Corinthians 3:5, John 15:5, Luke 13:19, Philippians 4:13
IV. The Lord’s Servant is Self-Forgetful (7-10)
IV. The Lord’s Servant is Self-Forgetful (7-10)
“Will any one 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’? 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’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 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.’ ”
Jesus finishes with a parable. This parable is very uncomfortable at face value. It seems unjust to those with humanistic tendencies – which is all mankind because of the Fall. We all have a tarnished view of ourselves and, if left to our own will, seek to serve ourselves and not God.
We are introduced to a servant who has been working all day. He comes in and gets straight to work on making a meal for his master.
Jesus asks a couple of rhetorical questions that we may ask in this situation. Our heart initially goes out to the servant who has been working hard in the field and is tired. Couldn't the master cook the meal this time? Couldn't the master serve the servant after all?
It is important to notice that the point of this short parable is not to make God out to be a harsh Master. In fact, Jesus states very clearly that His yoke is easy and His burden is light in Matthew 11:30. That is not the point of this parable.
The point that Jesus is making is that we must see ourselves as unworthy servants. We have only done what was our duty.
We must realize that we bring nothing to the table. We are not good (Romans 3). We are sinners deserving hell. Yet God has saved our souls. Anything that we do for Him still renders us unworthy servants. We must see ourselves in the correct light. We must be humble and have the heart of a servant. We must fight against any entitlement that may rise up within us.
I have sadly heard people make statements such as: ‘God owes me,’ or ‘God is indebted to me for the work I have done.’
Jesus speaks this parable to address this false teaching and thinking. Some people might be so bold to actually verbally say these kinds of statements, but there is definitely a sentiment that exists in many that screams entitlement.
Is that a struggle for us? Do we think God owes us a comfortable life because we have been obedient at times? Do we think we deserve that job or that house or that car because we have given up a certain sinful lifestyle for the Gospel?
Christ calls us to self-forgetful and humble service.
Those who are true servants of the Lord reflect any praise given to them upward to God. The realize that the only good works they are able to do are done through the Holy Spirit living in them (Ephesians 2:10). They know that their service to the Lord is only their duty, and that no matter how hard they work for Him, they are still unworthy servants. They realize that they still fall far short of the mercy and grace that has been lavished upon them (Romans 3:23).
Although the Lord’s servant will be rewarded in heaven as we saw back in Luke 12:37, we must remember that no blessing or reward is deserved, earned, or to be expected. All is from grace.
Scripture References: Matthew 11:30, Romans 3, Ephesians 2:10, Romans 3:23, Luke 12:37
Conclusion:
As we come to a close, we have seen four aspects that should be true of the Lord’s servant. How do you measure up to these?
Are you avoiding false teaching? Are you in the Word regularly and studying with other believers in a church fellowship to grow in your knowledge of the Word? If not, you are at risk of leading others astray. If you don’t know the Word, then you cannot give Biblical advice. Any advice that you offer is likely to lead another into sin. Parents should especially feel the weight of this point.
Are you a professional forgiver? Do you consistently inwardly forgive? Do you seek to be able to practice outward forgiveness and desire reconciliation with those who have sinned against you should they repent?
Are you faithful and self-forgetful? Do you practice humble faithfulness - realizing that God doesn’t owe you anything?
My friends, may we walk as humble and holy servants of the Lord and bring Him the glory that only He deserves.
We may be unworthy servants, but let our only boast be that we serve a gloriously worthy Savior!