17:1 - We are always going to be tempted...temptation will always be there...we live in a sin filled world. Just make absolutely sure by the life you live and the things you say and do that you are not the tool of temptation for another person. Check out Romans chapter 1, at the very end of the chapter...the vilest sinners who have descended the most deeply into sin are those who convince others to sin with them - tempters.
17:3 - It is clear from scripture that if we love each other as Christians, we will hold each other accountable. We also need to understand that the rebuking needs to be done with compassion and humble mercy. We often like to bring the rebuke without the love and that doesn't bring any God honoring healing.
17:5-6 - This seems like a wacky verse, but it makes a simple point. The disciples come up to Jesus and they want to take it to the next level...they want to have their faith ramped up...they want to have more faith than anybody. Jesus kinda shoots their competitiveness down. He is saying that it isn't the amount of faith that matters...even a mustard seed sized faith can do miraculous things...no, what matters is that faith is present in your life. We are often crippled in life and ministry because we are waiting to get enough faith to do something...Jesus says you just have to have faith, any kind of faith - so ACT!
17:10 - Something we need to get straight here. God isn't going to send a little thank you note and invite us to dinner because we actually served. Don't get all high and mighty when you have been serving the lord. David doesn't throw a party when I get to work on time...that's what I'm supposed to do - that's my job. We are servants...we are created to serve...try not to get overly impressed with yourself and keep on doing what you were created to do!
17:18ff - Powerful close to this story. All the lepers were healed, but only one understood the power of faith and the mercy of Jesus Christ. Only one was spiritually healed (The only kind of healing that really mattered). The others simply got what they wanted and went on with life. There are people all over the world receiving good gifts from God every second...and the goodness of those gifts is only fully realized when those gifts lead them to the feet of God.
17:28ff - Life was going on as if nothing were wrong...right before the fire balls began to rain down on Sodom, people were buying and selling and building up and storing away. We need to remember how fragile our reality is and refuse to get caught up completely in the here and now. There is a bigger more important reality that we must remain plugged into.
17:33 - Again with the priorities. If you live for this world and this life, you will be sorely disappointed when the things of earth all pass away.
4 comments:
I thought this chapter was a great message on faith, and I particularly like the parable with the mustard seed. I think its really cool that Jesus tells them its not a matter of how much faith they have, but that they have faith at all! Its amazing to think how lazy people can get and make up an excuse to be inactive with your christian faith. But we should also hold those christians accountable for not acting upon their faith, right? So that would mean there should be no excuse for not acting upon your faith?
Thanks for doing this Brando! It really helps!
-B
I have two comments to make.
First I think David would throw a party if you showed up to work on time, unless you have redefined what "on time" is.
Second, where is the Kingdom of God? Vs 21. It is in you. Up until the point I breath my last breath I probably will not fully understand what that means. But if I can learn a little more as each day passes, life will be mysterious and fascinating.
33Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
I think I've always seen this in a different way than what it seems to suppose to mean. The passage before tells of examples of "keeping his life" as everything one has worked for in life.. such as going back to the fields and getting more to bring with you.. So, everything I've worked for is meaningless? (says the teacher)
The part of this text that stands out is where he uses the parable of the servant who does what he's supposed to, and that's it. It's funny how we expect so much out of doing our job; we expect a parade and to be recognized. Jesus called us the salt of the earth. I don't remember the last time I had a meal and my astonished review of it was, "man, that is some amazing salt!" Unless you're of a different breed, the proper usage of salt is not something that stands out on a dish. It is in the misproper usage of salt (too much or not enough) that we acknowledge the role that salt plays. i think the same is said about us as Christ followers. When we are doing our job the right way, it will go unnoticed. It is when we act improperly that our presence is acknowledged. The only other time we notice salt is when you finally have a meal with the right amount of salt after having several where the salt was misused. If all we do is hang around with christians, the salt goes unnoticed. It is when we are around inproper use of salt that we notice the good usage of salt.
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