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Laboring in the Transformed Heart of Joy-Luke 17:1-10

By Charlie Vensel | October 11, 2007

Recently saw a cartoon showing a man sweating and grunting, carrying a whole church on his back. Can you identify with that? It seems as though the demands of church membership are pretty heavy, aren’t they? The church is always asking for money, if not to repair something, buy something, or hire someone, then for missions or for hunger. If we complain that we do not have anything to spare, then we are told to sacrifice in some area and give the difference. On top of asking for our money, the church also wants our time for committees, for teaching, for learning, for visiting the shut-ins, for calling on those who are slipping away from our fellowship, for making contact with new people, for caring for our altar, for reading the lessons, for ushering, for the music team, for stuffing envelopes, for tending the library, and for cleaning the bathrooms. Those are just a few of the requests this church has made of you I have seen since arriving only a week ago.

However, it is not just the church that is demanding of us, but our Lord himself. Last Sunday, the Gospel reading told us Jesus wants us to choose between him and money. Four Sundays ago it was a choice between him and our families. Then Jesus followed that up last week by uttering a statement he must have made many times because it occurs often in the Gospels, “And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:27 NIV)

Today, he is rubbing salt on our wounds with the parable in today’s Gospel, asking, “Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’?” (Luke 17:7 NIV) No. “Would he not rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” (Luke 17:8-10 NIV) He expects us to put him ahead of money and family and he thinks we should not look for any thanks; pretty grim. 


There is a weekly program on Public Radio on Saturday afternoons I used to listen to while cutting my grass in Florida. It was called A Prairie Home Companion. The host is Garrison Keillor who invented a whole community he calls Lake Wobegon, Minnesota. He brings a report each week of what has been going on in his hometown. Frequently he describes the follies of the church members either of Lake Wobegon Lutheran or of Our Lady of Perpetual Responsibility (the local Roman Catholic parish). Garrison Keillor is fairly well acquainted with the Scriptures. I wonder, when he was creating the name of that Roman Catholic parish, if he was not thinking of today’s very Gospel passage, “So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” (Luke 17:10 NIV). [1]

I have been involved in starting new churches, and navigating the waters of growth about as long as you have here. It is an enormous amount of work and the old adage that 80% of the work gets done by 20% of the people cannot hold true for a new church, or it will not last. ACTS still exists, so I know you understand what I am talking about. Perpetual responsibility? I am afraid that is how we feel at least some of the time. I know I do. However, most of us have had enough positive experience to understand it really is not that way at all, that our Christian faith is a relationship to Jesus, and that it is not a load but a lift. Nevertheless, that is often not the reality we live.

So, let us look at our passage today as a source of encouragement and refreshment both individually and as a corporate community.

Let us start by looking first at Luke 17:1-4. We read, “Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.’” (Luke 17:1-4 NIV)

Yes, we could learn a lot here about tempting others, forgiveness, restoration, and about being your neighbor’s keeper. However, that is not what I want to look at in this passage this morning; we will save that for another day. What I do want us to see is the demand being placed on the disciples, and consequently us. It is a consuming demand that is not easily met. How in the world are we to forgive someone who continually sins against us if they continually and sincerely repent? Sure, we all nod our heads and say this is true, but if we are honest, this is incredibly difficult and it often takes years after the person’s last sin for us to truly forgive and forget so that a relationship is not impeded by past impressions.

The disciples saw this, and from their reaction we can conclude that the sins Jesus referred to were not just little peccadilloes that we deal with in relationships all the time like leaving the cap off the toothpaste or not putting your dirty clothes in the hamper when your spouse has asked you no less than fifty times not to do it. No, those are easy enough to forgive and restoration should take far less than fifty times to get it right. The disciples would not have responded to Jesus by saying, “Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5 NIV) with an exclamation point over such simple things. To put this in perspective, perhaps we could think of adultery or stealing from the joint checking account for selfish desires. If someone did these things even once, it is hard enough to forgive, but imagine if they committed the acts seven times in a single day, truly repentant each time. We are still to forgive. Now that is a different story! That explains why the disciples reacted the way they did. I think we can identify now, can we not?

Pondering those verses, I think we can learn something about human tendency. We are usually ready to forgive the smaller things. “Nobody is perfect,” we say, sometimes even recalling our own mistakes. We are quick to recall the biblical teachings on forgiveness and we should. However, I suspect many times our forgiveness is little more than social convention, seeking a peaceable environment for our own benefit. I say this because even the unbelievers get this message and do a pretty good job at living it out; society would crumble without this sort of common forgiveness. I suspect this is where the disciples were coming from; fulfilling a moral obligation, a social convention dressed in religious garb…their duty as good Jews and businessmen seeking to advance their careers, and not wanting the little things to ruin their day. I think we operate like this a good deal of the time…in our own strength, out of social convention, rather than a transformed and empowered heart.

But, turn with me to verse 6 to see Jesus’ response to the disciples’ request. We read in verse 6, “He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” (Luke 17:6 NIV) Before making my point, I must offer a word of pastoral caution with this verse. There is a popular movement in Christian circles called the Word of Faith Movement that often misappropriates this verse. It is all over the TV, the Internet, Christian radio, and Christian bookstores and has subtly crept in many places you would not expect to find it. These well-meaning individuals erroneously interpret this verse as meaning, if you have enough faith, anything you want can happen for you; you can move the mulberry tree. Typically these verses are used to support statements like this: “If you just believe for your healing, you will get it,” or “If you just believe for your finances, you will have them.” When these things do not happen, both the prayor and the prayee conclude that not enough faith was present to spark the miracle being sought to move the mulberry tree towards us or away from us and they forget that God is ultimately in charge of all circumstances. This is not to say that we should pray without faith, or that there is room for doubt, for the Bible teaches us that very clearly, but that is quite different than creating a constant one-to-one ratio between great faith and desired results; that is basically what witchcraft is.

Jesus’ response in verse six is not about having more faith, but that having saving faith is having empowered faith. The true forgiveness Jesus is talking about is beyond social convention; it is beyond our human ability. Jesus appropriately redirects the disciples in their concern. In essence, he is saying that this type of forgiveness is not mere social convention that even unbelievers can accomplish, but that their saving faith in him has moved them into the supernatural and they are already empowered to do the things that are God’s will. This is true of the one with mustard seed faith, the brand new believer, as it is for those with mustard tree faith, the seasoned Christian. True forgiveness is God’s will and truly forgiving, as an example of moving the mulberry tree, is possible for those who have faith in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Note this though; the Lord never says it would be easy, but that it is possible and that it is required.

So we have another demand in forgiveness to add to our perpetual list, but we are not done. Turn with me now to verses 7-10. We read, “Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Would he not rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” (Luke 17:7-10 NIV) These verses portray a warning about another human tendency, a slave mentality, that is doing what is required, but with a begrudging and presumptive heart.

The Greek work for servant here is douvloß. It can mean either slave or servant. I think the proper rendering for this passage, as some other translations render it, is slave. “What is being pictured in this parable is what happens in the realm where God is not consistently honored as King. In fact, the very opposite is happening here. The slave pictured in this passage does only what he has been ordered to do. All day long he has been plowing or tending sheep, and when he comes in from the field, his boss orders him to wait on him while he, the master, is eating and drinking. The slave is told, “When I am finished, you can eat.” The servant obeys. He does exactly what he was told to do, no less, but certainly no more. We need to ask, why does he do it at all? Well, probably because he does not want to lose his job. After all, he has to eat. So, grudgingly he finishes his chores. Are we guilty of exaggeration when we picture this calculating servant as looking out of the corner of his eye every once in a while to see how the farmer is doing, whether he is almost finished with his meal?”[2]

Back when I was general manager in a restaurant, I was required to give quarterly reviews to all of the hourly workers; most were teenagers. Without fail, each one presumed in his or her mind that this time automatically meant a raise and or a promotion. The fact that they had been there for three months either for the first time or since the last review seemed to be all that was required in their minds for greater rewards. Most of the time, I had to have a conversation like this:

“I am pleased to tell you that you have met the minimum standards. You have learned your job well, you are now on time most of the time, you are reliable, trustworthy and represent us well.” Then they would pause and look at me and ask, “…And, what about a raise or promotion?” Then I would have to tell them, “You were hired to do the job you are now doing. We recognize that when training an employee they are growing into their wage; that is the cost of training. You have been trained well. If I am to give you a raise, I need to see something more than the minimum requirements you were hired to meet. You need to take responsibility for more than the minimum. As your leader, you need to start being my representative; you need to learn my thoughts and my ways, and carry them out even when I am not watching, and you need to encourage others to do the same. You need to do this not only because it is your job description, but because you want to please me. You need to have my heart for this place.”

Believe it or not, I gave out a lot of raises and handed out a lot of promotions over time. As they dropped the slave mentality, gained a bigger purpose for working than punching a clock, and became part of a team, not only did they have more money, but began to enjoy their jobs.

What are we to learn from this? I think the Lord is telling us the same thing I was telling my employees. “The slavish spirit gains no promotion in business life or in the kingdom of God.”[3] When we fall into this mindset we are way out of the will of God. Our obligations become work, not service. In the kingdom of God, the realm in which God’s sovereignty is gladly recognized, matters are entirely different. To be sure, God’s children are to aim to do his will, but they are to do it with a gladness of heart, in the spirit of love and gratitude because of the one they serve. In their case, the promise of Luke 12:37, where the Lord waits on them, will come true, “It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.” (Luke 12:37 NIV)[4]

There is another human tendency I think we ought to mention; that is simplicity. We live in the age of the bullet point and the to-do list. “Keep it simple,” or” just tell me what I have to do,” we say. We live in such a busy time, in effort to get it all done; we look for the least common denominator. We reduce everything to tasks on calendars and post-it notes. Our lives in the 21st century consist of a daily race to get it all done so that we can exhale for few minutes before going to sleep. It is quite natural for us in such a culture to crowd out God with business, reduce him to a set of tasks that fit neatly in a spiritual to-do list: serving at the church, managing our own spiritual growth, and keeping up our moral fortitude.

Churches are often the same. Pastors and staff are in the same game of life as everyone else, busy as they can be. It is easy to reduce the Gospel down to a few basic steps to salvation, a to-do list towards spiritual maturity, offer a list of moral prohibitions rather than allowing the Holy Spirit to work, and just ramble off a list of obligations expected from church members.

Just yesterday I took my children up to Echo Lake before it was closed for the season. It was a beautiful drive with many of the Aspens still changing. On our way back down, we stopped in Evergreen to visit a friend of mine that I have not seen in nearly twenty years. It was a great time catching up, meeting his girlfriend of fourteen years and their two children. We all had fun.

The last time this friend and I saw each other, we were both living very different lives. When I called him on my way out to Colorado to let him know we were moving to the area and plan this Saturday visit, he was surprised to learn that I had become a minister, though not at all sarcastic about it. As we approached his door yesterday, I was very aware of his childhood experiences in the church in our hometown. While my family never went to church, his parents fought with him and his two brothers for years to get them through the doors every Sunday. Week in and week out, they heard a litany of how God was not pleased with them, how they had to go do this and go do that, how they had to change, how they had to act…You can imagine that when these brothers moved out of their homes, they never darkened the steps of another church for years; perpetual guilt and a never-ending list of responsibilities that could never be met are too much for anyone to handle.

We spoke of my conversion, then my calling, and proceeded to tell him that I thought the Church in America is in very bad shape right now, for many reasons, but primarily for what we have been talking about here this morning. If the Gospel is only about acting better, only about doing more, only about trying harder, only about a list of things we have to do to be good enough and keep the preachers off our backs, we need to stay in bed on Sunday mornings and keep our tithes; buy the convertible.

I could tell he was relieved to hear that. He said that he and his girlfriend were very spiritual people, but they just have not found a place that seems real. They have not found a place that is not doing exactly what I have described, exactly what he remembers as a child. He would rather mountain bike on Sundays and I cannot blame him given his experience. He has not heard the Faith articulated in a way that does not make the Faith seem like just something else he has to do, that he will never do well, and certainly never enjoy. He remains open, though.

I do want to be clear this morning. I am not suggesting that we do not have any requirements. We do. As believers we are required to obey God. As church members, we are required to serve. Unbelievers are required to repent and come to faith. There are plenty of requirements made of all.

So, even for those of us who do know the Lord, who serve with gusto, and come to church every Sunday, why do we have such a hard time meeting our requirements with joy? Why do we feel more like my un-churched friend about our service than we care to admit? Why do we spend so much time in worn-down, slavish mentalities? Why do we get so exhausted? Why do we not live in joy while doing the Lord’s work?

Here, we should return to where we first started. The disciples were operating out of social convention, not the transformed heart of saving faith; no wonder it looked like such a daunting task. The begrudging slave had lost sight of the joy of honoring his master, and focused only on going through the motions of meeting the demands. He too was operating out of social convention only; do A to get B.

I believe the lesson for us is one we have all heard many times, but perhaps today, it will stick. Hear this, we fall into either trap when the object of our faith becomes misplaced. For the disciples, it was faith in themselves. As for my friend, he is not unlike the disciples either, recognizing that what is required is way beyond his conventional abilities. For the slave, it was faith in his work; if he would just keep doing his chores, he would eat.

So, individually, how do we overcome lack of joy in our service, in our obedience, in our gratitude, and in our fellowship when it comes? What do we do when our service seems but vain repetitions? The answer is the same for the unbeliever and the believer alike. “Repent and believe the Gospel.” If we have come to a place where we are just going through the motions and are worn down, we must take our eyes off of ourselves and return them to our Master. We must recognize that the supernatural is required of us, and that without the power of the Holy Spirit, we will fail in our own strength. We must take our eyes off the to-do lists and take another look at our Savior. We must enter into a spirit of praise and worship of our God. We must recapture the romance with our Savior. When our eyes are focused on him, his goodness, and his power, everything else falls into place. When our hearts are right before God and when we are trusting in him alone, not our abilities, inabilities, or our tasks, our heart has a proper perspective and the Lord is free to work through us. That is when we have great joy in our service. That is when we have the spiritual strength to forgive serious sins.

We might also remind ourselves of what the Gospel entails, for it is certainly more than our personal salvation experiences. We are a part of the redemption of all creation, the cosmos. We are part of the kingdom of God becoming manifest. We are part of something much greater than our individual lives, this local church, or even Littleton. We are part of preparing the earth for the King’s great return. A little perspective always helps. Small vision yields small results.

As a church, I think there are a few things to consider as well. We are a young church and one seeking to carry out our mission with zeal. So far, you have endured great trial in coming this far. Many of you are doing far more than you would have to do in a church twice this size. There might be a temptation, now that permanent clergy is here, to feel now is the time for you to slow down a bit. For a few, that is probably a valid sentiment. For others, it is a dangerous one. If we are to press on and accomplish all that the Lord would have us do, in many regards, our hard work is just now beginning. The demands of the Lord have not diminished, nor have the demands of the church. It is absolutely essential as we press forward, that the objects of our corporate affection do not become any individual, attendance numbers, or growth strategies. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33 NIV) As a Body, we must seek the Lord with all our heart, mind, strength and soul. Only then will we be empowered and entrusted to carry out the Lord’s mission for Littleton. Glorifying God must remain our primary concern. Growth will be a by-product, and where there is growth, there will be more laborers.

Secondly, as a church, we must be careful in the message we send to the unbelieving world. We must be careful not to fall into the trap of simplicity or reduction. We must be careful not to proclaim a list of moral obligations, guilt, or perpetual responsibilities in place of the liberation of the Gospel. If we will faithfully proclaim Christ and him crucified we have every reason to expect the Holy Spirit to make those changes in the lives of the new believers in his time. Few, if any, ever came to Christ by first being told that they were living in a sinful relationship, that they had to stop drinking, that they could not dance, etc…you get my drift, I think. Christ is the one who grants faith (Eph 2:8) and repentance (2Tim 2:25). Christ is the one who transforms hearts. We cannot put the cart before the horse. We must minister to the heart first, not outward behaviors. Christ will transform the individuals, not us. Christ ate and drank with sinners, so should we. We must be very careful not to place ourselves in the Christian ghetto, surrounding ourselves with only other Christians. We must not be easily offended; we must befriend the lost. I say this not because you want to meet people just to see them converted, that would be manipulation. I say it because Jesus did it with care and compassion, a love for the Father, and a love for his fellow man…he was the perfect neighbor; that is our model.

We should look forward to a day when this church is loaded up with people just like my friend. We should look forward to a day when they are professing Christ, rather than only outwardly conforming to a list of rules before they wander off again and crumble under the pressure of living in their own strength.

Individually and corporately, if we labor with our eyes on anything but the glory of God and his presence among his people, we will come up short. We will be tired, dissatisfied and backslidden, going only through the motions, running the church as if were any other corporation in the world. We would be here, but the joy of the Lord would not. This is the message of today’s Gospel passage; we cannot do it on our own. We are empowered with supernatural grace by a supernatural faith. If the objects of our affections are the Lord and him alone, we will be able to move the mulberry tree; we will be able to carry out the Lord’s will with supernatural power and joy.

Amen.

[1] Introduction is adapted from a sermon by Alvin Rueter entitled, Lovers Never Ask, “What is the Least I can do?” accessed on 10/5/07 at http://www.esermons.com/theDetails.asp.
[2] Hendriksen and Kistemaker Commentary on Luke, page 796.
[3] Robertson, Word Pictures. Volume III, p 227.
[4] Hendriksen and Kistemaker Commentary on Luke, page 796.

Topics: Bible Studies, Luke, Uncategorized |

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