"Jesus replied, 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

–Matthew 22:37-39, NLT 

Shoutout to our Sprecher Middle Schoolers who served at C.H. Bird Elementary School on Wednesday!

Please be praying for our DeForest students as they serve in Sun Prairie next week. And pray for all of our students as they gear up for summer mission trips!

LUKE: Cost of Discipleship

Luke 17:1-10

_____



We’re diving back into the Gospel of Luke. After nine chapters introducing us to Jesus and His call, Luke now takes us with Him on the road to Jerusalem (Luke 9-19). Along the way, we’ll hear some of Jesus’ most famous teachings and stories, as He shows us what it truly costs to follow Him and why following Him is worth everything.

WATCH: YouTube or Website

DOWNLOAD: Bible Discovery

The Big Idea

(What is the author's point?)

Serving Jesus means serving people.

Why It Matters

(Why is this relevant to us?)

At a glance, this passage seems like three separate pieces that Jesus just tosses out. But after some digging, we see a common theme: Serving Jesus means serving people. This kind of service is radical, counter-cultural and sacrificial. Jesus calls His people to be careful in how they treat one another, never causing someone to stumble or fall. He calls for immense forgiveness and for faithful service to the Lord. Hearing all this, the disciples know that there is no way they can do this on their own—and we are the same. But Jesus gives hope, comfort and assurance all in one illustration. He tells us that we do not need giant faith, we don’t even need more faith, we only need true faith. True faith that is present and persistent in believing in God, even if it is small, is all that is needed. That is what Jesus calls us to today. We can follow what Jesus has called us to because, by His Spirit, we can have faith. And we can follow in His example of being the ultimate servant who laid His life down for us. Let us strive to love one another well as Christ has loved us!  

Good to Know

(What are some helpful insights into this passage?)

Verses 1-3 contain a warning. The Greek word here for “temptation” is skandalon, which can mean more than simply temptation, but a stumbling block. A disciple can be damaged by unkindness, malicious gossip, false teaching, unrepentant sin—the list can go on. This kind of sin can lead to further damage. Jesus warns that believers should give constant attention and care to how they treat one another. When Jesus uses the term “little ones,” He doesn’t only mean children, but all members of His family. He has such care for all who belong to Him!  

Verses 3b-4 are of instruction. The standard for forgiveness in Judaism was to forgive three times, so the disciples were to exceed even that. A rebuke in this context was meant to bring about repentance, so forgiveness is not just an optional response but a duty.  

Verses 5-6 are an exhortation from Jesus. The disciples have just heard that they need to be vigilant and have immense forgiveness for one another, so naturally, they ask for more faith to be able to carry out these things. Jesus responds with the reminder that the amount of faith isn’t what matters, but the presence of true faith. A small amount of genuine faith in God Almighty is all that is needed.  

Verses 7-10 are a parable about service. It can seem out of place, but it directly applies to our discipleship journeys. Jesus is communicating through a cultural norm for His audience to say: The best we can do is still less than what we owe to God as our Lord. Now God is not a slave driver, and this passage should be understood in the context of all of Scripture. God IS a generous Father and treats His children with care by providing all that we need.

Group Guide

Following the series with your group? 

• Start with some icebreaker questions.
• Read the passage together before you dive in. 
• Share any insights from the message. Use the questions below to get your conversation started.

Conversation Starters

1. Why do you think Jesus uses this shocking imagery in verse 2? 

2. How can we “pay attention to ourselves” as verse 3 calls us to?  

3. What does/can forgiveness look like?  

4. Why do you think the disciples asked for more faith at this moment?  

5. How can we remind ourselves of Jesus’ example as the ultimate servant as we seek to serve others?  

Prayer

Jesus, thank you for being our Savior and coming to us as a Servant. Help us to be like you. Always seeing the least of these and caring for our neighbors. Give us true faith in you, and help us to trust that our mustard seed faith is enough. We love you, amen.

Looking for more prayer opportunities?

Click here to be notified about ongoing DCC prayer needs.

Click here to send in a prayer request.