Luke 17:1-10
Jesus forms disciples who protect the vulnerable, forgive the repentant, trust God, and serve without entitlement.
1 He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no occasions of stumbling should come, but woe to him through whom they come!
2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, rather than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.
3 Be careful. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him.
4 If he sins against you seven times in the day, and seven times returns, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
6 The Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you would tell this sycamore tree, ‘Be uprooted, and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
7 But who is there among you, having a servant plowing or keeping sheep, that will say when he comes in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down at the table,’
8 and will not rather tell him, ‘Prepare my supper, clothe yourself properly, and serve me, while I eat and drink. Afterward you shall eat and drink’?
9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded? I think not.
10 Even so you also, when you have done all the things that are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants. We have done our duty.’ ”
Jesus forms disciples who protect the vulnerable, forgive the repentant, trust God, and serve without entitlement.
Luke records Jesus instructing his disciples about the seriousness of causing stumbling, the necessity of watchful correction and repeated forgiveness, the apostles’ plea for increased faith, Jesus’ teaching on mustard-seed faith, and the proper posture of servants who obey without entitlement.
Following the warning of eternal judgment in 16:19–31, Jesus now shapes the internal ethics of the disciple community before narrating the cleansing of the ten lepers (17:11–19).
After warning about the rich man’s failure to heed Scripture and show mercy, Jesus turns again to his disciples. He warns that causes of stumbling are inevitable but pronounces woe on the person through whom they come, saying it would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone around the neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. He then commands watchfulness: if a brother or sister sins, rebuke them; if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin seven times in a day and return seven times saying, 'I repent,' they must be forgiven. The apostles respond, 'Increase our faith!' Jesus replies that faith as small as a mustard seed could command a mulberry tree to be uprooted and planted in the sea. He then gives a servant illustration: a servant coming in from plowing or tending sheep is not invited to recline but is told to prepare and serve supper first. The master does not thank the servant for doing what was commanded. So disciples, when they have done all commanded, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'
Faithful Servants, Grateful Cleansing, and the Coming Kingdom
The kingdom already present in Jesus demands humble faith, forgiving service, grateful worship, and watchful readiness for the sudden day of the Son of Man.