Sermon snippet – Am I a Faithful Steward? Part III
INTRODUCTION – Chapters 15 (which we briefly touched upon two weeks ago) and 16 of Luke both have much to say about our reasonable and expected stewardship before God. Luke 17:1-10 continues this teaching by examining our motives for service to our Savior.
- OUR MOTIVATION IS REVEALED BY OUR FAITHFULNESS TO OTHERS
This point builds on the last thought from last week’s message, that we need to mend and tend relationships now (Luke 16:18, 27-31). Verses 1-3a of chapter 17 were directed to Jesus’ “disciples,” His first followers. It would have been easy for them to be condescending to the “little ones,” including children (the focus of Matthew 18) and new believers (spiritual “little ones”). “Take heed to yourselves,” Jesus warns; in other words, “Watch yourselves!” In the immediate context, Jesus had been challenging the hypocritical and hypercritical Pharisees. Some of them eventually became Christians (including Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, and Saul), and it would have been possible to look down upon them because of their initial rejection of Jesus – a rejection that led to His death on the Cross. We have a tendency to like people who are like us; it is more difficult to care for others who are different. Would we welcome a Pharisee into our congregation? Would we welcome “publicans and sinners” (Luke 15:1, which introduces this section of Scripture)? The strong language of Jesus indicates that we should and must. We are to treat others with tender compassion, as God’s “little ones,” created in His image.
- PART OF OUR FAITHFULNESS TO OTHERS IS FORGIVENESS
Verses 3b-4 command unlimited forgiveness. Theology is important (and not just for scholars), for it determines whether our forgiveness will be full and free or an empty, meaningless gesture, just some mumbled, insincere, and formulaic words: “I forgive you because I have to, because it’s commanded and I’m a good Christian (incidentally, much better than you), and I’m showing everyone what a good – no, great! – Christian I am because I said the right words” – may it never be! I find it quite easy to forgive others, not because I am so good, but because I am so bad. This is where theology enters in, for verses such as Isaiah 64:6 and Romans 3:23 make it clear that we all need God’s forgiveness. May we forgive as He forgives us, and may we remember that “love [God’s type of love, real love] keeps no record of wrongs” (I Corinthians 13:5d). We all need forgiveness, and we all need to forgive.
- A FURTHER PART OF OUR FAITHFULNESS IS FAITH
Verses 5-6 instruct us in prayer. The disciples felt inadequate, even incapable, of such forgiveness. An old song says, “It takes a worried man to sing a worried song”; it takes a person of faith to ask for more faith. Faithfulness is a fine trait, but it can be misdirected. Think of how faithful, for example, the Taliban is. When driven by genuine faith in Jesus , however, faithfulness becomes a powerful force for good. The word picture of verse 6 is evocative: faith equivalent to the smallest of seeds can rip up a deep-rooted tree and cast that large tree some distance into the sea. This is a living, lively faith. What we believe – the core tenets of the Christian faith – will empower and rightly direct our faithfulness.
- OUR MOTIVATION IS REVEALED BY OUR FAITHFULNESS TO GOD
Verses 7-10 point us to humble service. Jesus did not want the disciples wasting their time transporting trees to the Mediterranean Sea and throwing them in! Otherwise, we probably would have a sect called the Mulberries into the Mediterranean Movement! Look at the everyday tasks mentioned: plowing, feeding cattle, preparing a meal. In serving our Savior, there are two extremes to avoid: first, doing our duty because we have to (like my silly forgiveness monologue earlier), or, second, expecting to get something out of it. R. G. LeTourneau said, “If you give because it pays, it won’t pay.” We are to be faithful because we delight in faithfulness and find joy in humble service.
CONCLUSION – At the very center of the Christian faith is the need for Jesus as Savior. Trust in Him; then, serve Him in humility. He is the Savior; we are the servants, the stewards.