May 03 2025

Saturday May 03

Luke 17:7-10 – Forgiveness and Faith Lead to Faithfulness

7 And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'? 8 But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'? 9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. 10 So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.' "

Luke chapter 17:1 begins with, "Then He said to His disciples." Jesus is teaching His disciples some powerful lessons, first about forgiveness, faith, and obedience in these opening verses. But now, in verses 7 through 10, He's teaching a lesson about faithfulness. My friend, when you live a life of forgiveness, faith, and obedience, doing what you're supposed to do as a believer, you will be faithful despite what's going on around you, and you'll be faithful for the right reasons with the right motives.

This passage of Scripture warns to beware of offenses, they're going to come. The greatest offenses that come to you and me don't come from the outside world that hates Jesus, hates us, and hates the gospel. No, the great and painful offenses come from those we go to the house of God with, those we worship with; another pastor, another believer, another co-worker. That offense happens and goes deep into our hearts, sometimes from a family member who’s abusive or says something hurtful. Those are the offenses we have to deal with, and many times, they cause us to quit. We throw in the towel and say, "If that's Christianity, I want none of it."

So, the Lord has a powerful lesson in verses 7-10. He says, "And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he’s come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’?" But will he not rather say to him, "Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I’ve eaten and drunk, and afterward you can eat and drink." Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise, you, when you have done all those things which are commanded, say, "We are unprofitable servants; we have done what was our duty to do."

You know, so often I find that many believers, because of their past sins and offenses toward God, and the sense that when they realize God’s forgiven them, they are grateful and thankful. But they do what I call religious compensation—they try to pay God back for His goodness. My friend, you can never pay God back, and to serve trying to pay God back is not the right motive to serve the Lord. The main motive to serve the Lord is because you love Him. "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." The main purpose and motive in serving the Lord is to glorify Him. When you’re doing everything, whatever you do, you do it with all your might and to the glory of God. You don’t do it to get a pat on the back.

So many believers, so many Christians, serve to be recognized by somebody else—by the pastor, some leaders, or to work their way up in leadership and be somebody important. My friend, those are the wrong motives in service. Jesus makes it really clear because here is a servant who’s serving, watching sheep, plowing in the fields. Jesus used those illustrations often because we are like sheep. We’re shepherding sheep as pastors, ministers, and co-workers with the Lord. We’re plowing fields, working in the fields, sowing in the fields, trying to reach the harvest fields for Christ. So He says, "You’re working in the fields, and you come home—do you expect a pat on the back?" No, He says, "Sit down and make me a meal."

Jesus Himself set the great example. He said, "I didn’t come to be served; I came to serve and to give My life a ransom." He set the example. He became obedient to death, obedient to the death of the cross. He made Himself a servant; He humbled Himself. Humility is involved here because if we’re not careful, as workers and co-laborers with God, with faith to cast mountains into the sea, we might get proud, and God’s going to have to bring us down somehow.

So, Jesus is making it very clear here: serve with the right motives, serve for the glory of God, serve because you’re simply being obedient. As you’re living a life of forgiveness, handling those offenses that come, and living a life of faith, you will be faithful despite what’s going on around you for the glory of God.

Be encouraged today to be faithful. It’s required in a steward that he be found faithful (1 Corinthians 4:2).

God bless.