Luke arranges verses 1-10 of chapter 17 as a coherent whole. Let us first look at the whole passage, and then to
the parable itself. The Parable of the Servant's Duty is found only in Luke 17:7-10.
The Story
Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom
they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to
cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he
sins against you seven times in a day and seven times comes back to you and says, `I repent,' forgive him."
The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" 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. (Luke 17:1-6, New International Version).
"Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, `Come along now and sit down to eat'? Would he not rather say, `Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? Would 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.'" (Luke 17:7-10, New International Version).
The Interpretation
Here is an outline of the whole passage, adapted from Childers (BEACON BIBLE COMMENTARY, LUKE, By Charles Childers, pp. 570 ff.):
1. FAILURE (vv 1-2). "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come...." Here, Jesus warns against causing a
young convert or a child to sin. If we are performing our duty, we will reduce our temptation to sin. For instance, if
King David had been out leading his army, he would probably not have been tempted with Bathsheba. We have hope when we
fail, because in his mercy we find forgiveness when we ask
. 2. FORGIVENESS (vv 3-4). "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him." Here, Jesus teaches us to
have an ATTITUDE and WILLINGNESS to forgive. How many times has our Heavenly Father forgiven us? What offenses has our Heavenly Father forgiven us?
3. FAITH (vv 5-6). "Increase our faith!" Jesus taught that a small amount of biblical faith is powerful. If we are
faithful, then God can place more faith in us and entrust us with more faith.
4. FAITHFULNESS (vv. 7-10). We have a duty to obey God. Performing our duty does not merit any special reward from
God. No works or good conduct can ever earn our salvation, otherwise Jesus would not have had to die for our sin. If we
serve God through love, then our motivation will be right.
The characters of the story and the persons whom they represent in reality are:
1. Household Owner God
2. Servant Christian
In the time of Christ, there were 60,000,000 slaves in the Roman Empire. (BEACON BIBLE COMMENTARY, LUKE, By Charles Childers, pp. 570 ff.). We cannot fully comprehend the scope and inhumanity of this today. Probably the closest
comparison we have today in the United States is the employer employee relationship.
Morgan notes,
...what they asked for was an increase, not of love, but of faith. It was an apprehension on their part that life could only be equal to the demands of Jesus by faith, by that activity of the human soul that takes hold upon the invisible.
(Morgan, THE PARABLES AND METAPHORS OF OUR LORD, p. 228).
Our Lord said, You do not need more faith, but faith of a different kind and nature. It is not a question of quantity, but one of quality. Then what is faith? Faith is that which has in it a principle of life. We may define a living faith by saying three things about it. Living faith is first conviction concerning the fact of God. It is secondly the experience of relationship
with God. Thirdly and consequently, living faith is absolute submission to the will of God.
...................................................
I am emphasizing a truth that is fundamental; first, conviction of God; secondly, a relationship with God; and then obedience to God. We cannot exercise faith in God doing anything that we do not know to be the will of God. (Morgan, NOTES ON THE
PARABLES AND METAPHORS OF OUR LORD, p. 230).
Jesus is describing his own relationship with his Heavenly Father. He believed in his Father. He loved his Father, therefore he humbled himself submitted to his Father's will. Paul taught us that,
....
The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself in love. (Galatians 5:6) (New International Version)
Central Truth
OUR DUTY TO GOD IS TRUSTING, LOVING SERVICE.
Conclusion
Let us pray this prayer from our hearts: Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the truths that Jesus taught in this passage.
With your help, I accept them. I choose to love, believe and serve you. In Jesus' Name,
Amen.
END