Articles
Obligations One To Another - Luke 17
Obligations One To Another - Luke 17
Luke 17:1-4 1 He said to His disciples, "It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come! 2 "It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 "Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 "And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' forgive him."
One of the areas of discipleship concerns how we relate to one another. Here in Luke 17, Jesus puts before us 4 principles.
1) We strive to never cause another to stumble. Stumble means more than just ‘offend’ or upset them, it speaks of causing one to sin or to lose their faith in God. In 1st Corinthians 8:13 and Romans 14:13, such speaks of being the encouragement to commit idolatry. Such speaks to us being willing to even forgo a ‘privilege’ in order to help a brother. Obviously, it also forbids anything that would set an example of sinful activity or that would entice another to engage in sin. In this respect, yes, we are our brother’s keeper.
2) When we observe a brother sin, we need to rebuke him (cp also Matt. 18:15f). This is part of our together responsibility. Such is to be done from the motive of love for God and love for one another and never out of a feeling of superiority. The aim is to restore one to a right relationship with God. Paul encourages a gentle spirit in doing such: “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted” (Galatians 6:1).
3) When we are rebuked, we need to repent. This requires humility, the willingness to admit we are wrong. Such was the difference between kings Saul and David. The willingness to be corrected is directly related the desire to be right with God.
4) When one repents, we are to forgive each other. Since the very purpose of any rebuke is to restore one to right relationships, then their change of course in life should be met with forgiveness. How often? Jesus uses hyperbole here: seventy times seven! AS OFTEN AS. There is no magic number. How many times will God forgive me? AS OFTEN AS.
The response of the disciples upon hearing this: Lord increase our faith! (vs. 5). Increase our faith to be willing to forgive. Increase our faith to be able to make the needful corrections in our thinking and actions. Increase our faith to be able to lovingly and gently help those who struggle with sin. Hugh DeLong
