Jesus Tells About Forgiveness and Faith

Luke 17:1–10
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As Jesus travels toward Jerusalem and eventually the cross, He is teaching His disciples and preparing them for the time He will no longer be with them. In the passage we are reading today he is teaching them about forgiveness and faithfulness:

1. Forgiveness (vv. 1-6) - It appears that Jesus was directing this warning at the religious leaders who taught their converts their own hypocritical ways. Human nature being what it is, there will always be occasions to stumble and offenses to come. However, Jesus makes it plain that it is a serious thing to cause a fellow believer to stumble or to tempt them to sin. In fact we should lovingly watch over each other and do all that we can to keep one another from sinning.
2. Faithfulness (vv. 7-10) - Jesus  now tells the disciples a story that emphasizes faithfulness to duty no matter what the demands might be. It is good to have faith to do the difficult and impossible tasks, but it is also essential that we have faith to do the routine things of life. Above all, when we  have done all that God has commanded of us, we are never to be proud or expect any special rewards.

Application

When someone offends me, do I go privately and lovingly to that person and share with them my feelings or do I go to others and tell them what a terrible thing this person has done? I’m afraid that I have too often done the later.