Introduction
We have people born in Christian families and people converted from other religions. I once was a staunch follower of Chinese folk religion, a kind of mixture of Buddhism and Taoism. By God’s grace and his choice, I became a Christian in 1977.Through the reading of God’s Words and listening to sermons, soon I realised one of the greatest differences between Christianity and all other religions is the saving grace of Christ offered. In all other religions, believers have to work hard and even do sacrifices in hoping to please and gain favour from the deities they worship.
I remember watching a documentary about a follower of certain religion was ordered to stand up day and night and not allowed to sit on chairs not to say to lie on beds. He explained his action was to please the deity so that he might be blessed with good luck etc. Whether sleeping, eating or even doing his big business, that poor man had to be in straight up position. In order for him to stand straight, he had many swing like ropes and hooks everywhere for him to hold on to. He would tie himself straight up when he need a “deep sleep” for instance.
Another story was told by a convert from certain religion. He was a religious guru. Every time they celebrate birthdays of their deities, together with many others, he would have many spears like bars pierce through his tongue, his nose, his chin and many hooks hooked on to his back with ropes attached pulling those status and shrines from a temple to another. In his testimony he said that during that time, people see him as a hero but nobody knows how much he suffered especially the aftermath pain and hurt which usually took many months for him to recover. When he finally turned to Christ, he became a new person, fully free from all those bondages and unnecessary sufferings.
I can tell you many more stories of how people lost their health, their money, their families and even their lives just because they tried to please their deities they served. For those who are in Christ, we experience the opposite. Jesus offers us life abundantly. (cf. John 10:10) Jesus is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). When we are in Christ, we shall know the truth, and the truth shall make us free. (cf. John 8:32) Also, as Paul said, “therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Cor 5:17) We are all saved by the grace of God, not by our merits. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Eph 2:8-9) God did not demand anything from us in order for us to be saved. Salvation comes through faith and faith alone, for the death of Jesus purchased our forgiveness and new life granted. This doesn’t mean that Christians should therefore abandon doing good works. Christians do many good works but good works are not done in order to gain salvation and should not be treated as duties performed to gain favour from God. When a person has new life from God, that life will be expressed. Just as a living infant cries and moves, so a person with new life from Christ will express that life—in works. It is not that works bring life, but that those who are alive in Christ will work. These works are good works of mercy and kindness towards others. These are works that bring glory and honour to God, not to bring harm and sufferings to ourselves or to others.
1. Some observations
In the first few verses of Luke 17, Jesus rebuked those who cause others to stumble. Jesus’ words were severe. He said, “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.” (NKJV) However, if the person repents, we must forgive him. Jesus was very specific. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him" (Luke 17:3). Even if he offended us 7 times and repent, we still have to forgive him. "If he sin against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." We understand that 7 is a complete number. It does not mean that we do not need to forgive that person if he offended us the eighth time.
When the disciples heard this, they were furious and cried out, “Lord, increase our faith!” Apparently they were furious because they did not have enough faith to forgive such persons who constantly offending them. Marvellously Jesus did not answer them directly. Instead of promising needed faith, He seems to dismiss their concern. He said, "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 17:6).
Jesus' next words explain His reaction. He asked them about a servant—literally, a bond slave. Doesn't his master have him work and do the tasks assigned? Don't both master and slave expect the servant to put his master's needs before his own? (Luke 17:8) And, when the servant has done what he has been commanded, does he deserve any special commendation? Obviously not. A servant's role is to obey his master. Obedience is nothing extraordinary for a slave. And so Jesus applied the analogy. He said, "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 17:10).
What did Jesus mean? Jesus had given His disciples a command. When a person sins, he is to be rebuked and forgiven. This is not optional. This is the way every disciple is to live with others. This is a matter of obedience to the Lord! In other words, Jesus said, "Faith is fine for moving mulberry trees, but faith has nothing to do with this!" When it comes to living by Jesus' commands, the issue is not one of faith but of obedience! We don't need extra faith to obey! What we need to do is to remember that Jesus is Lord, and we who are Jesus' servants are called to do as He commands!
This incident revealed the disciple's confusion about the function of faith in the life of a follower of Jesus. It is a confusion that many believers share today. While this incident does not give direct teaching about the nature of faith, Jesus does settle one thing. We can never draw back from doing God's revealed will because we feel we have inadequate faith. As servants of Jesus Christ, we are to obey when He speaks.
2. What are the lessons?
a. Here we learned one of the many aspects of faith. It is about faith in trusting every single word of God and obeys accordingly. As mentioned above, we do not need more faith to forgive our offenders. What we need is obedience to God’s words. Jesus himself set an extreme example of obeying God by dying on the cross for the remission of the sins of the world. Paul described Jesus who humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (cf. Phil 2:8)
b. Another aspect of faith could be found in the NT reading from 2 Tim 1:5 – These are the words of Paul to Timothy his spiritual son, “when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.” (NKJV) Here we see that faith was being passed on from one generation to another. Lois did not hold on to her faith and be satisfied herself. Knowing that the faith in Christ was so precious, she passed it on to her daughter Eunice and eventually to Timothy.
This good news of Christ’s salvation is too great to retain by an individual. We see many other examples in the bible where people who came to know Christ’s saving grace, they just could not keep silence without telling others. For instance in Matt 9:29-31, Jesus healed two blind men and warned them not to let others know, yet they spread the news about Him in all that country. Another example found in John 4:39 The Samaritan woman who experienced Christ testified him and eventually many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him.
c. Again in 2 Tim 1:7, we learn that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (NKJV) By saying that Paul meant to remind Timothy not be ashamed of the testimony of the Lord, who has saved them and called them with a holy calling. (cf. 2 Tim 1:8-9) In other words, the faith granted to us by God’s grace is for us to bear witness for Him boldly without fear.
In the history of the early church, many disciples boldly testified for Christ not with prices to pay. Many of them were persecuted, imprisoned and gone through much hardship. And some even martyred for the gospel sake.
Conclusion
In my conclusion, I think the above 3 points about faith are enough for us to ponder over for the week and beyond. We learn to obey Christ’s command in every single detail not to gain eternal life but as a sign of our faith in Him. That faith makes us different inside, and love for God, not fear of Him. That faith motivates holiness.
We also learned to pass on our faith to our younger generations. In baptism, the parents and sponsors are challenge to express their trust and commitment to the promises of God, and their intention to bring up their children in the faith and practice of the Church. They are requested to set good example in prayers and services in the life and faith of the Christian community.
It is our prayer that our next generation and generations to come shall able to claim as Joshua did in thousands years ago: But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Josh 24:15 NKJV)
The blessing we received should not be retained within ourselves. We want to reach out to as many people as we can. In order to be effective in reaching out, I would like you to digest the words of our Lord in Matthew 28:19-20 -- “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”(NKJV)
Let us set aside some times to pray for St Marks and for each other at least once a week. Besides the time slot for your own, you are welcome to join me at the Dawn Prayer at 6.30am every Saturday morning.
May God revive His church.
