Luke 17:1-6 - Living with Forgiveness and Faith

Today,we're moving on to Luke chapter 17, verses 1-6. Jesus has just rebuked andwarned the Pharisees about a place called hell if they continue in theirreligious hypocrisy and offend young believers as they sneer and mock JesusChrist. Now Jesus turns to His disciples in verse 1 and says to them, "Itis impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom theycome." Basically, He’s saying that when we live in this world and dealwith its issues and problems, a broken world with a broken humanity, offensesare going to come. We are going to commit them, and they will be committedagainst us. Jesusis now speaking to the disciples, preparing them for the time when He will begone. They will, in a sense, replace Him as His witnesses on earth to spread Hiskingdom message to the world. As He nears the end of His three-and-a-half-yearministry, on His way to Jerusalem, He turns to these disciples and talks aboutforgiveness and faith—forgiveness and obedience. Jesus warns, "Woe tohim through whom they come." We don’t want to be like the Phariseesand offend people.  Inverse 2, He adds, "It would be better for him if a millstone were hungabout his neck and he were thrown into the sea than that he should offend oneof these little ones." The "little ones" here refer to youngbelievers or even little children who need to be led in a proper and good way. Itis our responsibility to take the opportunity to teach them the truths aboutGod and His Word. We must careful to never offend them, lead them astray, usecurse words in front of them, tell them dirty jokes, or expose them to thingsthey shouldn’t be exposed to. My friend, to do so would be a terrible thing. Amillstone is a heavy stone, and God says it would be better to face thatbecause you’ll face judgment for it yourself one day. So don’t offend others. Inverse 3, Jesus says, "Take heed to yourselves." Watch out forone another, be careful as you live among others, and take heed to be kind,gracious, loving, and, most importantly, forgiving. "Take heed toyourselves. If a brother sins against you, rebuke him, and if he repents,forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day and seven times in aday returns to you and says, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him." Theapostles responded to the Lord, "Increase our faith." Now,I don’t know about you, but I probably would have said, "Increase mylove." I would have a hard time loving someone who keeps offending meseven times in a day, maybe with the same offense, saying or doing the samething, and then having to say, "I forgive you" when he asks forforgiveness. I’d say, "Increase my love for this person." But thedisciples say, "Increase our faith."  Why?Because faith is an act of obedience. Obedience is doing what the Lord tells usto do. They’re asking, "Help us to be obedient to follow you."Scripture says in 1 Corinthians 13 that love does not carry offenses; it doesnot remember wrongs, it sets them aside. So, Jesus tells us to forgive them,and we say, "Increase our faith." TheLord responds, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you’ll say to thismulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and itwould obey you." Oh, my friend, Jesus said, "You don’t need awhole lot of faith to do this; you just need to act in obedience." It’slike a little mustard seed, but it has life in it. When you are obedient,there’s life in that, the Holy Spirit’s life is in it. I’m telling you, Godgives you the grace to overcome the hurt, the pain, and the offense. Instead ofgetting bitter, guess what? You get bigger and better for the glory of Godbecause that little seed grows into more fruit for His glory. Oh,God, help us to follow the Scriptures ourselves today. This is a message forHis disciples—for you and me—to be people who reflect the love, grace, andforgiveness of God to the world around us. May the Lord help us to do it today. Godbless.