Monday Morning

Read Luke 17:1-10. Jesus shifts his focus from rebuking Pharisees to instructing disciples. Verse 3 makes it very clear that his instruction on causing others to sin is directed at his disciples, "watch yourselves." We probably don't think of ourselves as Christians as being the cause of another's sin but we're all vulnerable here. Paul discusses in Romans 14 how what we eat and drink could cause a brother to sin. He instructs us to avoid things that are not technically sinful if we think they might cause another to sin.

Jesus adds another dimension here with verse 3b and 4. Sometimes we cause a brother to sin by simply being silent. If we had just tripped over a root and then didn't bother to point it out to the one behind us we would be guilty of causing one to stumble by neglecting to speak! Many around us are sinning without a clear understanding of what they're doing. The term "rebuke" may seem harsh but some versions simply say, "correct."

The disciples understand that this takes faith so they ask for more and Jesus responds with his famous mustard seed line. In Matthew and Mark Jesus gives more explanation to the mustard seed illustration. read Mark 4:30-32. The point here is that it may start small but if IN THE SOIL it will grow to the largest of plants. The soil is God. We are like the seed. The men who have done the greatest things in God's eyes through history were simply those who were abiding deeply in him. (John 15:5 - apart from me you can do nothing).

I'm not sure of Jesus intent with verse 7-10 but what I get from it is that this kind of faith is expected. We may tend to think that kind of faith illustrated by the mustard seed is the extraordinary faith that deserves a pat on the back but after we have it and function with it we should say, "we are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty." 

The reason for this is simple. God does all the work. Our faith is not in ourselves but in Him. If a father told a child to would walk across a lake on top of the water and calm a storm by speaking to it and the Father would give him the power to do it. If that child did what the father said and it worked how much should the child pat himself on the back?

questions

1) is there anyway you might be causing another to sin by your words or actions? Or perhaps you lack of words or actions?

2) if you had the faith of a mustard seed what might you do differently?

3) how might understanding that our faith is not in our ability but God help us influence our family?

prayer