Luke 17, Part 1

Scripture: Luke 17:1-10

Observation: Jesus teaches about discipleship. There are 4 different aspects He speaks of in these verses. The first is a warning not to be the cause of sin. This involves false teaching, since it speaks of the kind of sin that would cause one to fall away from faith. He then calls for quickness to forgive. Sin should be rebuked, but forgiveness must come with repentance, no matter how many times it is requested. Faith is requested by the disciples, but Jesus tells them what matters is not the amount of faith they have, just the fact that they have it. God can use even the smallest amount of faith. From this faith comes service. We are slaves, not equal to God because He is our Creator. We have a duty to serve Him and others.

Application: Christianity is not about "just me". It's about living in community, as a family. We are to serve others, expecting nothing in return. We are to be loving, forgiving, watching out for our brothers and sisters. We don't need a ton of faith for this; we simply need to realize our place in God's kingdom. Jesus is our King, yet He gave His life for us. Service, faith, and forgiveness are key.

Prayer: Father, I am Your child, but I realize I'm not Your only child. I have many siblings whom You love and whom I must love. Teach me to love as You love, to put the interests of others before my own, to serve with a joyful heart that is pleasing to You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.