Luke 17:1-37

As we read this section of Luke's Gospel, we identified seven characteristics of a follow or disciple of Jesus Christ.

Before I list them, with appropriate comments, I want to note an observation which I had not noticed before in all my readings of Luke's Gospel.

Sometimes statements of Jesus trigger a comparison with what He said in some other part of the Gospel. In today's reading (17:3-4) Jesus said, "If your sister or brother sin, rebuke the person, and if someone repents, forgive the individual. If the person sins against you seven times in one day and each time comes to you saying, 'I repent', you must forgive." If that happened seven times every day for a year, there would be a whole lot of sinning and forgiving going on.

Elsewhere, in the Gospel of Matthew (18:21-22), Jesus is asked by Peter, "Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?". Peter thought he was being very generous with his forgiveness. But Jesus stretched Peter's endurance much further when He suggested, "Not seven times, but seventy-seven times seven."

FORGIVENESS is at the top of the list for Jesus' follower/disciple. In His special prayer, Jesus called on His people to forgive others and to ask for forgiveness for their own sins.

A person must have FAITH the size of a mustard seed. It may be the tiniest of seeds, but it can grow into the tallest of trees.

Followers/disciples of Jesus must SERVE others, and go the extra mile/kilometre to assist.

Learn to THANK God for all God's blessings to us.

Recognize that the Kingdom of God is WITHIN you.

We must be ALWAYS READY FOR GOD since we do not know when God will arrive.

Sometimes the follower/disciple of Jesus may have to SUFFER and/or be REJECTED for believing in Jesus as Lord.

Question: What you apply the seven characteristics (bold type) to your own life, how are you faring?


Tomorrow's reading: Luke 18:1-17

(Today's post submitted by Rev. Hollis Hiscock.)