Sin, Faith, and Duty

Prayer Practice

Prayer Journal – To begin your daily worship today, grab a pen and paper and write out a prayer to God. Today’s passage invites us to consider the many things we have to be grateful for. Take the opportunity, either before or after reading today’s devotion, to write about your gratitude for the Lord.

DAILY READING

Luke 17:1-19

REFLECTION

Discipleship with Gratitude

 by Dan Kidd

What is it like to live as a disciple of Jesus? What responsibilities do we bear? What can we anticipate and what is our aim? 

We can anticipate stumbling. We, if we are disciples, expect sin. But Jesus issues a profound warning to his disciples: don’t be the cause of their stumbling. Which leads us to ask, in what ways might we provoke sinfulness, even if unintentionally?

Some of us prefer to avoid conflict. When we see our friends in sin’s destructive clutches, we would rather avoid the uncomfortable and potentially costly consequences of telling them what we see. Better to turn a blind eye than risk upsetting a perfectly peaceful relationship. But we depend on each other to stay on course. If we do not live submitted to the honesty, course correction, and forgiveness of others, we are certain to lose our way. 

Others of us are prone to confrontation. We notice when things are not as they are meant to be, and we hold ourselves, and others, to the high standards of righteousness that Jesus expects of us. The Church depends on this. But it also depends on a bottomless well of forgiveness. Jesus requires his disciples to be exactly as eager for reconciliation and restoration as they are for rebuking others. We are not inanimate signposts that point to the Way. We are fellow sojourners who notice when someone’s lost the path, who search for each other and walk back to the path together. 

These are among the many reasons discipleship is a tall order, and the apostles knew it. “Give us more faith,” they asked. But Jesus knew it wasn’t more faith they needed. They had sufficient faith. Instead, they needed to appreciate the immense power of even the smallest measure of faith. 

How might this be true of us? Do I need more faith, or have I underestimated what God might do with the faith I have?  Am I justifying inaction despite having been gifted everything I need to press forward?

Perhaps this is what Jesus intends to say in his parable? You, disciples, have been called and sufficiently equipped to serve God. Don’t believe you are unprepared for the task. But also, don’t forget your purpose. To be a disciple is to serve the Lord. If we expect to eat the meal without preparing or serving it, we’ll find ourselves waiting on a meal that isn’t coming. And knowing that it is our pleasure to serve the Lord, surely we won’t expect God to feed our insecurities by demanding his unwarranted praise! 

Instead, like the healed Samaritan, we practice gratitude. Gratitude for how he has healed and saved us. Gratitude for the particular ways the Lord has called us into his service. Gratitude for the small but potent faith he’s given us. And gratitude for the community that keeps on the path.

For what, of these many things, would you like to thank God for today?