Luk 17:10 | KingComments | STEP | What the Lord has said about forgiveness every time there has been sinned and repentance is expressed about it, is followed by the question of the apostles to increase their faith. They feel that to be able to act like this, they need a lot of faith. Luke here changes the form of address from disciples to “apostles”. They are the spiritual leaders in the kingdom. They must set an example in these things. It is precisely in this place of responsibility that it is important to be humble, to be the least, to be the servant of all. It may also have to do with the special authority that the apostles have received from the Lord to forgive sins ( ). This has nothing to do with forgiveness of sins for eternity. That forgiveness can only be given by God on the basis of the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross and faith therein. For the earth there is a forgiveness that people can give to others. First, if it is a sin against someone personally, as has been suggested by the Lord before. Secondly, more generally when it comes to sins that have not been committed against someone personally or sins that can no longer be confessed to the person against whom they have been committed. Then a person can discharge the burden of his conscience to a believer who lives with the Lord. The believer can assure him on the basis of God’s Word that God forgives sins when there is repentance. The Lord shows that it is not the quantity of faith that matters, but whether it is living faith. A mustard seed is small, but it is alive. If there is living faith, it is capable of supernatural things. The Lord does not say that by faith we should uproot a mulberry tree and then plant it in the sea. What He wants to teach us is that we can only be redeemed from our own ‘I’ by faith. That own ‘I’ is stuck with its roots deep in our soul. That tree has to get out. This can only be done by faith that focuses on Christ, so that He increases and we start thinking smaller and smaller about ourselves (cf. ). Then the Lord warns of another danger: that there could be boasting about deeds we have done in faith. If in faith we do not let our own ‘I’ work and if we have committed deeds of faith, then that is something we could boast about. To this end, the Lord tells us that we are only slaves engaged in the task given to us. If we have been able to do anything in faith, we should not think that we have made God our Servant, Who, because of our work, will let us directly sit down to eat to enjoy our achievements. The slave must know his place. He is at his master’s complete and constant disposal. When he finishes the work for his master outside, he must continue inside to serve his master. The service to the master is paramount and asks everything. Only when the master’s wishes have been fulfilled to his satisfaction the slave can go to eat and drink. That’s not hard, it’s normal. There is no thanks to the slave. Surely he only did what he was told to do, didn’t he? He gets no thanks for that. Grace in no way weakens our obligations. Certainly, we may know that the Lord will reward all the good we have done for Him. But is He obliged to do so? And that is what this is all about. We are not entitled to anything as slaves of the Lord. Is it not already an enormous privilege to serve such a Lord Who with all the love of His heart has delivered us from the power of darkness and sin at the expense of His own life? What a moderation it would be to assume that He had to reward us for what we do for Him. We owe our life to Him. When we have done what we should do, we also realize that there was a lot that wasn’t as it should have been. It should not be difficult to say in all honesty that we are “unworthy slaves”. The progress of the Lord’s work is not dependent on us. He works it through us as His slaves. Often we are unwilling or ignorant. That He continues with us is as great a proof of grace as that He ever began with us. He knew what He began when He saved us, and yet He did it. That makes Him so great. For that He is worthy of all worship. This is reflected in the following history.

‏ Luke 17:10

Unworthy Slaves

What the Lord has said about forgiveness every time there has been sinned and repentance is expressed about it, is followed by the question of the apostles to increase their faith. They feel that to be able to act like this, they need a lot of faith.

Luke here changes the form of address from disciples to “apostles”. They are the spiritual leaders in the kingdom. They must set an example in these things. It is precisely in this place of responsibility that it is important to be humble, to be the least, to be the servant of all. It may also have to do with the special authority that the apostles have received from the Lord to forgive sins (Jn 20:23). This has nothing to do with forgiveness of sins for eternity. That forgiveness can only be given by God on the basis of the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross and faith therein.

For the earth there is a forgiveness that people can give to others. First, if it is a sin against someone personally, as has been suggested by the Lord before. Secondly, more generally when it comes to sins that have not been committed against someone personally or sins that can no longer be confessed to the person against whom they have been committed. Then a person can discharge the burden of his conscience to a believer who lives with the Lord. The believer can assure him on the basis of God’s Word that God forgives sins when there is repentance.

The Lord shows that it is not the quantity of faith that matters, but whether it is living faith. A mustard seed is small, but it is alive. If there is living faith, it is capable of supernatural things. The Lord does not say that by faith we should uproot a mulberry tree and then plant it in the sea. What He wants to teach us is that we can only be redeemed from our own ‘I’ by faith. That own ‘I’ is stuck with its roots deep in our soul. That tree has to get out. This can only be done by faith that focuses on Christ, so that He increases and we start thinking smaller and smaller about ourselves (cf. Jn 3:30).

Then the Lord warns of another danger: that there could be boasting about deeds we have done in faith. If in faith we do not let our own ‘I’ work and if we have committed deeds of faith, then that is something we could boast about. To this end, the Lord tells us that we are only slaves engaged in the task given to us. If we have been able to do anything in faith, we should not think that we have made God our Servant, Who, because of our work, will let us directly sit down to eat to enjoy our achievements.

The slave must know his place. He is at his master’s complete and constant disposal. When he finishes the work for his master outside, he must continue inside to serve his master. The service to the master is paramount and asks everything. Only when the master’s wishes have been fulfilled to his satisfaction the slave can go to eat and drink. That’s not hard, it’s normal. There is no thanks to the slave. Surely he only did what he was told to do, didn’t he? He gets no thanks for that.

Grace in no way weakens our obligations. Certainly, we may know that the Lord will reward all the good we have done for Him. But is He obliged to do so? And that is what this is all about. We are not entitled to anything as slaves of the Lord. Is it not already an enormous privilege to serve such a Lord Who with all the love of His heart has delivered us from the power of darkness and sin at the expense of His own life? What a moderation it would be to assume that He had to reward us for what we do for Him. We owe our life to Him.

When we have done what we should do, we also realize that there was a lot that wasn’t as it should have been. It should not be difficult to say in all honesty that we are “unworthy slaves”. The progress of the Lord’s work is not dependent on us. He works it through us as His slaves. Often we are unwilling or ignorant. That He continues with us is as great a proof of grace as that He ever began with us. He knew what He began when He saved us, and yet He did it. That makes Him so great. For that He is worthy of all worship. This is reflected in the following history.