Reflecting God’s Character: Luke 17:1-10

As we keep moving through the parables and illustrations Jesus used when teaching the people, we come to a parable Jesus shares specifically with His disciples. However, this parable is part of a bigger teaching about the importance of being courteous, intentional, forgiving, and having faith. In just a few short verses, Jesus covers all these topics leading up to a parable that summarizes what our attitudes should be when seeing ourselves as disciples, or followers, of Jesus.

Let’s read Jesus’ teaching, then discuss how it is relevant for us today. Our passage and parable are found in Luke’s gospel, chapter 17, and we will read it from the New International Version of the Bible. Starting in verse 1:

¹ Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. ² It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. ³ So watch yourselves.

“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. ⁴ Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”

⁵ The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

⁶ He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

⁷ “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? ⁸ Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? ⁹ Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? ¹⁰ So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”

In this passage, we discover four big descriptions of what Jesus called His followers to be. But before focusing on these four descriptions, realize that Jesus called His people to be this way, not those who were not His people. Since this message was given to people who already had accepted Jesus’ invitation to follow, we should understand the descriptions we will look at as destination points on the path God leads us on, and not as prerequisites for taking the journey with God.

The standard Jesus sets with these four descriptions is extreme, and it is about as counter-cultural as one could imagine.

Our first big description can be summarized as having a selfless attitude. This is described by Jesus’ opening statement: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. So watch yourselves.” (verses 1-3a)

Having a selfless attitude means that we are intensely focused on the well-being of others and we don’t press our own agenda. The only “agenda” we have is showing others God’s love and helping them discover the Jesus who gave His life for them. If there is something about us or our message that would cause someone to stumble, then we minimize it, but don’t discount it or ignore it. If there is something that is a big issue in the other person’s life, then we shift the focus away from it. It is better to let God’s Holy Spirit do the convincing regarding big issues than for us to place a stumbling block in someone’s path when they are moving towards God.

Having a selfless attitude means we love others, we pray for them, and we help them discover Jesus. We ultimately let God lead them towards His truth.

The next big description is having unconditional forgiveness. This is where Jesus goes next when He says: “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” (verses 3b-4)

While we are called to forgive others regardless of whether they truly repent, forgiveness is simply not holding them responsible or as payable for the debts they caused us. Forgiving doesn’t mean reconciling them back into our lives, even though some problematic people may be closer connected to us. The unconditional forgiveness Jesus calls His people to live out is nothing more or less than what God does for His people.

We might do our best to avoid sin in our lives, but we stumble, fall, and then come back to God asking for forgiveness. God unconditionally forgives us when we return to Him, and this is the attitude He calls His people to model for the world around them.

The third big description comes after the disciples ask Jesus for help increasing their faith. Jesus doesn’t really answer their direct question, but He does describe what we could call an unwavering faith when He says: “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” (verse 6)

Jesus calls His people to live lives of unwavering faith in God and in Him. While we might not need to use our faith to move mulberry trees, our lives of faith are no less significant in God’s eyes. When we live lives of unwavering faith, nothing Satan throws our way will stop us from living for God and from having faith in Jesus.

While bad things may happen in our lives, we are not surprised by this because we know this world is filled with sin. God didn’t call us to live easy lives on this earth, but to live lives dedicated to Him. God’s goal for us isn’t a comfortable life in sin, but an eternal life with Him!

The fourth and last big description Jesus gives for His people is the focus of the parable portion of this passage. We could describe this as limitless humility. We discover this through Jesus’ illustration where He tells the disciples: “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” (verses 7-10)

While a different parable Jesus shares frames God as the one turning the tables and serving us, this parable does not contradict Jesus’ other illustration. Our parable in this passage focuses on our attitude, not on God’s actions. This parable focuses on our expectations and on our response. After serving God for a lifetime, we should be content still serving Him.

This describes a limitless humility, and living a life of limitless humility neatly summarizes living with a selfless attitude, living with unconditional forgiveness, and living with unwavering faith. When we are God’s people, we reflect His life and His character. God has called us to serve others because He loves and serves us. God never stops serving, and this is the attitude He has called His people to model!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally seek God first in your life. If you have decided to be one of God’s people, be sure to focus on incorporating these four descriptions into your life with God and your life living among those in this world. However, also know that to truly model these four descriptions, we need the Holy Spirit’s help. We cannot reflect God’s love and God’s character on our own.

Because of this, I always challenge each of us to continue praying and studying the Bible for yourself. Prayer and Bible Study are the best ways to build a strong spiritual foundation for our lives and it is the best way to discover who God is and what He is truly like. While cynics like to only focus on the cruel acts of God, studying the Bible for yourself can help you discover God’s reasons for these challenging events.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, or abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!