He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble. Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.” The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you. Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down to eat’? But will he not say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink’? He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’” (17:1–10)

In a day when the focus is on God’s love, it may come as a surprise to many that there are things that God hates. For example, His holiness demands that He hate those who commit sin. David wrote, “You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; no evil dwells with You. The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity” (Ps. 5:4–5). That hatred specifically encompasses sinful mistreatment of others, such as by devising evil against them or lying about them (Zech. 8:17), violently abusing them (Ps. 11:5), or divorcing them (Mal. 2:16).

God also hates false religion. Moses warned Israel not to imitate the idolatry of the Canaanites: “You shall not behave thus toward the Lord your God, for every abominable act which the Lord hates they have done for their gods” (Deut. 12:31; cf. 16:22). The glorified Christ said to the church at Ephesus, “Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans [a hedonistic pseudo-Christian cult], which I also hate” (Rev. 2:6; cf. vv. 14–15). Through the prophet Jeremiah God said to His people regarding their idolatry, “I sent you all My servants the prophets, again and again, saying, ‘Oh, do not do this abominable thing which I hate.’ But they did not listen or incline their ears to turn from their wickedness, so as not to burn sacrifices to other gods” (Jer. 44:4–5). Amos 5:21–23 records God’s rejection of Israel’s false worship of Him:

At the heart of all sin, whether against God or other people, is pride. Some try to say He only hates the sin, not the sinner, but the sinner is the one punished. Since “everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord” (Prov. 16:5), it is not surprising that heading a list of seven things God hates are “haughty eyes,” representative of a proud heart (Prov. 6:16–19; cf. 21:4). Because God hates sin, He hates the proud. Paul wrote to the Christians at Rome, “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think” (Rom. 12:3). A few verses later he added, “Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation” (v. 16).

Pride manifests itself in self-righteousness, like that of the “Pharisee [who] stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get’” (Luke 18:11–12). Pride also reveals itself in spiritual arrogance. Paul warned the Corinthians, “Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies” (1 Cor. 8:1). Pride also causes the wicked to reject God (Ps. 10:4) and mistreat other people (Pss. 10:2; 31:18).

It was pride that led to Satan being expelled from heaven and Adam and Eve being banished from the garden of Eden. Pride moved Amaziah of Judah to challenge Jehoash, the king of Israel, to a battle in which Amaziah was defeated (2 Kings 14:8–14). Pride caused Uzziah to attempt to usurp the role of the priests by burning incense on the altar of incense in the temple (2 Chron. 26:16)—an act for which God struck him with leprosy (v. 19). Pride motivated Hezekiah to show envoys from Babylon all the treasures of his kingdom (2 Chron. 32:25–26; cf. v. 31; 2 Kings 20:12–13). The daughters of Zion (Isa. 3:16), Ephraim and Samaria (Isa. 9:9–10; 28:1, 3), Babylon (Isa. 13:19) and its king (Dan. 5:18–20), Moab (Isa. 16:6), Judah and Jerusalem (Jer. 13:9), the Philistines (Zech. 9:6), Assyria (Zech. 10:11), and false teachers (1 Tim. 6:3–4) are further examples of the pride that marks the fallen world (1 John 2:16).

The consequences of pride are devastating. Pride defiles a person (Mark 7:20–22), brings dishonor (Prov. 11:2; 29:23), and causes strife (Prov. 28:25). But most significantly, pride brings God’s judgment. David wrote that “the Lord … fully recompenses the proud doer” (Ps. 31:23), while in Psalm 94:2 the psalmist called on God, the “Judge of the earth,” to “render recompense to the proud.” Solomon noted that “everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; assuredly, he will not be unpunished” (Prov. 16:5), while in verse 18 he cautioned, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.” Isaiah warned that “the Lord of hosts will have a day of reckoning against everyone who is proud and lofty and against everyone who is lifted up, that he may be abased…. The pride of man will be humbled and the loftiness of men will be abased” (Isa. 2:12, 17). Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, declared that God “has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart” (Luke 1:51). Both James (James 4:6) and Peter (1 Peter 5:5) record the statement from Proverbs 3:34 that “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

During the final months of His ministry, Jesus narrowed His focus to two groups, directing His teaching to His disciples (10:23; 11:1–2; 12:1, 22; 16:1), and to the scribes and Pharisees (11:39–54; 13:31–33; 14:1–4; 15:2–32). Those two groups were juxtaposed to one another; the Pharisees were the false religionists who provided a contrast with true disciples. Everything they were, He wanted His disciples not to be; everything they were not, He wanted His disciples to become.

Since pride was the defining characteristic of the scribes and Pharisees, the disciples were to be marked by humility, understandably an emphasis in the Lord’s evangelistic preaching (cf. 14:11; 18:14; Matt. 5:3; 18:4). Although the term itself does not appear in this section, the theme of the first ten verses of this chapter is clearly humility.

In spite of the Old Testament’s emphasis on humility (e.g., Num. 12:3; Deut. 8:2, 16; 2 Chron. 7:14; Job 22:29; Pss. 10:17; 25:9; 37:11; Prov. 11:2; 15:33; 18:12; 22:4; 29:23; Isa. 66:2; Mic. 6:8; Zeph. 2:3), the Pharisees were to a large degree characterized by pride. They were proud of their religious achievements and status. Pride motivated them to love “the place of honor at banquets [cf. Luke 14:7] and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men” (Matt. 23:6–7). Arrogance caused them to view those whom they considered to be beneath them with contempt (Luke 18:9–12; John 7:49; 9:34) and to refuse to associate with them (cf. Luke 5:30; 7:34; 15:1–2). Pride also caused them to exalt themselves (Luke 16:15) and seek honor from others (John 5:44).

The Lord’s strong warning, Be on your guard! or “Beware!” is the key that opens the passage. It is one of several warnings of imminent danger Jesus gave. In Matthew 6:1 He warned against hypocrisy. In Matthew 7:15 He warned of the deadly danger of false teachers, while in Matthew 10:17 He warned His followers that they would be persecuted. In Luke 21:34 Jesus warned against being caught unprepared at His return. But the Lord especially warned of the danger posed by the scribes and Pharisees (Matt. 16:6, 11; Luke 12:1; 20:46), because they led the people astray both through their errant teaching and their hypocritical example.

In this passage Jesus defined the essence of humility without using the word. Truly humble people are restrained from offending others, ready to forgive, marked by recognition of weakness, and characterized by rejection of honor.

HUMBLE PEOPLE ARE FROM OFFENDING OTHERS

He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble. (17:1–2)

In a fallen, corrupt, imperfect world it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come. Anendektos (inevitable) appears only here in the New Testament. It refers to something that is a certain way and cannot be otherwise. The phrase in the Greek text literally reads negatively, “It is impossible that stumbling blocks not come.” Stumbling blocks translates the plural form of the noun skandalon, which referred originally to the bait stick in a trap. The world is filled with traps, which can seduce the unwary into error regarding the Scriptures, salvation, and living the Christian life. Those who set them do so by means of direct temptation (1 Thess. 4:6), indirect temptation (Eph. 6:4), sinful example (Rom. 14:13–15; 1 Cor. 8:9–13; Gal. 5:13–15), or by failing to stimulate righteousness (Heb. 10:24–25). Above all, traps are set by the lies of false teachers—particularly in this context the blasphemous lies that the scribes and Pharisees spread about the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Matt. 9:34; 11:19; 12:24; Luke 5:21; John 8:13, 41, 48, 52, 53). Through those lies they lured people onto the broad road that leads to hell (Matt. 7:13–15; 23:15).

But the inevitability of stumbling blocks does not mitigate the guilt of those who bring them, as Jesus’ words woe to him through whom they come indicate. So serious a matter is it that it would be better for him if a millstone (a massive stone used in grinding grain) were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble. The little ones here, as in Matthew 18:6 and 10, are not children, but believers. Matthew 18:17 records the first instruction ever given specifically to the church (“tell it to the church”). Significantly, that instruction was a warning against leading fellow believers into sin. In the present passage, the warning was aimed primarily at the unbelieving Pharisees who, as noted above, caused people to stumble by spreading lies about Jesus. Matthew 18:7–9 indicates that our Lord had the world in mind, and the end of such action was hell. But anyone, even a believer, who leads another believer into sin is guilty before God. So serious a matter is it that Jesus warned that it would be better for that person instead to suffer one of the most horrible deaths imaginable—to have a millstone … hung around his neck and [be] thrown into the sea. That would be far more tolerable than to incur the consequences of his act—more severe punishment in hell for unbelievers; chastening in this life and forfeiture of eternal reward for believers.

Humble believers consider others first out of love and unselfish good will. They passionately pursue the truth of God’s Word so that they might not offer false teaching that would put an obstacle or hindrance in someone’s spiritual life. For the same reason, they live godly lives, setting an example for others to follow. They also do not abuse their liberty in Christ so as not to cause weaker believers to be offended (Rom. 14; 1 Cor. 8).

HUMBLE PEOPLE ARE READY TO FORGIVE

Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.” (17:3–4)

The strong position against sin set forth in the previous point must be balanced by a gracious, forgiving attitude toward sinners. Humble believers do not give offense, but neither do they take offense. They avoid sinning against others, but they also do not hold a grudge when others sin against them (cf. Luke 11:4).

But being ready to forgive others does not entail being indifferent to their sin. The Lord’s warning to the disciples to be on your guard against the influence of the scribes and Pharisees is a caution against acting like unbelievers by both giving offense, and being indifferent to the sins of others.

The first step in leading people out of sin is to rebuke them. Epitimaō (rebuke) is a strong term of disapproval; a censure or reprimand conveying a stern warning or admonishment. Matthew 18:15–17 gives the process for implementing the principle set forth here:

The goal of that four step process is to confront and restore the sinner so as to guard the church’s purity. The first step is to oppose the sinning brother’s behavior in private. Should he refuse to repent, the second step involves confronting him again with no less than two witnesses present to confirm his response. If he again refuses to repent, the third step is to inform the church, so that the entire fellowship can confront him and lovingly call him to repentance. The final step for a hardened, impenitent sinner is to put him out of the church; to treat him like one of the outcasts of Jewish society, a “Gentile and a tax collector” (cf. 1 Cor. 5:1–13; 2 Cor. 13:1–2; 2 Thess. 3:14–15; Titus 3:10–11) or an unbeliever, which he may well be.

Here the question arises as to whether forgiveness should be withheld until a person repents. There are some sins for which forgiveness is completely unconditional. In Galatians 6:1 Paul wrote, “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.” The idea conveyed by the word “caught” is that the person was caught unawares or trapped by the sin; that it was not premeditated. Jesus had the same kind of sin in mind when He said, “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions” (Mark 11:25). There is no mention of seeking out the offending person; the forgiveness is immediate and then prayer can continue. For such unplanned, unintentional lapses into sin the principle that “love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8; cf. Prov. 10:12), because it “does not take into account a wrong suffered” (1 Cor. 13:5), applies.

But there are some sins that are to be forgiven only if the sinner repents. These are willful, premeditated, habitual sins, sins that have become the pattern and direction of the sinner’s life. These are the sins that call for the church discipline set forth in Matthew 18. Yet even these sins, when there is genuine repentance, are to be fully and freely forgiven. If a person sins against you seven times a day,” Jesus said, “and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.” In Matthew 18:21 Peter asked Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Peter thought he was being magnanimous, since the rabbis, misinterpreting such passages as Amos 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13, 2:1, 4, 6, taught that God forgave only a maximum of three times. Jesus replied, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven” (v. 22). The point is that just as God freely and completely forgives penitent believers, so also must they fully forgive each other.

The Bible reveals at least ten reasons forgiveness is important. First, forgiveness is the most God-like act a person can do. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matt. 5:44–45). Loving one’s enemies, which necessitates forgiving them, makes believers like their Father in heaven, who showers the blessings of common grace on those who do not love Him. Just as the forgiving God (cf. Ex. 34:6–7; Pss. 32:1–2; 85:2; 130:4; Isa. 1:18; 43:25; 55:6–7; Jer. 31:33–34; Mic. 7:18–19) forgave them, so also are believers to imitate Him (Eph. 5:1) by forgiving others. Paul commanded the Ephesians, “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32; cf. Col. 3:13).

Second, it is not only murder that is forbidden by the sixth commandment, but also anger, wrath, malice, vengeance, and lack of forgiveness. Jesus explained the true meaning of the sixth commandment in the Sermon on the Mount:

In 1 John 3:15 the apostle John wrote, “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”

Third, Christians need to remember that whoever offends them has offended God more. All sin is ultimately against Him as Psalm 51, rising out of David’s horrific sin of adultery and murder, makes clear. On the human level, David’s sin affected many people. It affected Bathsheba, her husband Uriah, whom David had killed (2 Sam. 12:9), and the child that resulted from his adultery, who died in infancy. David’s own children were also affected by the example he set of adultery and murder (cf. 2 Sam. 12:10). The entire nation of Israel suffered from the civil war that resulted from Absalom’s rebellion against David. Yet in his anguished confession of his sin and culpability, David cried out to God, “Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight” (Ps. 51:4).

Fourth, it is only reasonable that those forgiven for the greater sins they have committed against God, the most Holy One, forgive the lesser sins committed against them, the sinful ones. Jesus’ story of a man who was forgiven a massive, unpayable debt, yet refused to forgive a small debt owed him by another man illustrates that truth (Matt. 18:23–35).

Fifth, those who fail to forgive will not enjoy the love of other Christians. When the man refused to forgive the one who owed him money, “his fellow slaves … were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened” (Matt. 18:31). He was cut off from fellowship with them.

Sixth, failing to forgive results in divine chastening. Enraged that the one whose massive debt he had forgiven refused to forgive his fellow slave “his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him” (Matt. 18:34). Driving home this point Jesus warned, “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart” (v. 35).

A seventh principle follows from that truth; namely that those who fail to forgive others will not be forgiven. Jesus made that clear in His teaching on prayer in the Sermon on the Mount: “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,” He told His audience. But He went on to warn, “If you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions” (Matt. 6:14–15).

The Lord was not speaking of the eternal forgiveness believers have through justification, but rather of the temporal or parental forgiveness that is a part of sanctification. Those who are bitter, bear grudges, and withhold forgiveness will receive God’s chastening. The emptiness, depression, dullness, and lack of assurance and joy many Christians experience is often due to withheld blessing as a result of chastening for an unforgiving heart.

Eighth, failing to forgive renders a person unfit for worship. In Matthew 5:23–24 Jesus said, “If you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.” When a believer is aware of a conflict with or a lack of forgiveness toward another person, the situation needs to be resolved before coming to worship God. The sin of failing to reconcile precludes worship, which God will not accept if believers harbor sin in their hearts (Ps. 66:18; Prov. 15:8).

Ninth, failure to forgive usurps God’s authority. “Never take your own revenge, beloved,” wrote Paul, “but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Rom. 12:19). By refusing to forgive, those who are not qualified to retaliate against sin usurp God’s right to do so. Only He has a perfect understanding of the offenses against believers, has ultimate authority, is impartial, wise, good, and always acts in perfect holiness. And, as noted in point three above, God is the one most offended by sins against believers.

Finally, the offenses against believers are the trials that perfect them. James wrote, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2–4). Viewing the offenses of others as God’s means of perfecting believers puts those offenses in a different light, and enables them to follow the example of Christ, “who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:22–23). (I discuss the importance of forgiveness in detail in my book The Freedom and Power of Forgiveness [Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway, 1998].)

HUMBLE PEOPLE ARE MARKED BY RECOGNITION OF WEAKNESS

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you. (17:5–6)

The seeming disconnect between verses 5–10 and the first four verses of this section has led some to view verses 5–10 as unconnected samplings from the Lord’s teaching given on other occasions. But there is nothing in this context to suggest that all ten verses are not part of one connected discourse. As the passage unfolds, the connections between its sections will become clear.

The apostles were the twelve selected by the Lord in Luke 6:12–16. They have been absent from Luke’s narrative since being sent out to preach in 9:1–10 (apart from an allusion to them in 11:49). These were the men who had the extraordinary privilege of being called personally and sovereignly by the Lord Jesus Christ to be His personal representatives. They became eyewitnesses of the resurrection, and the foundation upon which the church was built (Eph. 2:20), as well as Spirit-inspired authors of most of the New Testament. (For more information on the apostles, see Luke 6–10, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary [Chicago: Moody, 2011], chaps. 2–8, and Twelve Ordinary Men [Nashville: W Publishing Group, 2002].)

But despite their unparalleled privileges, the apostles proved to be all too human. They observed firsthand the countless miracles Jesus performed, heard His teaching, and were discipled by Him. Yet they struggled with a lack of faith, for which Jesus repeatedly rebuked them (Matt. 8:26; 14:31; 16:8; 17:20). Even now, not long before the cross, their response to the Lord’s teaching on humility and forgiveness was to say to Him, “Increase our faith!” That, however, was a humble, honest admission of weakness on their part. The Greek verb translated increase means “to add to,” “supplement,” “develop,” or “grow.” They were not denying that they possessed faith, but doubted that it was sufficiently strong. What Jesus demanded in this context seemed to them to be an impossible standard to live up to. It was completely contrary to what they had been taught by the religious leaders.

Like the apostles, humble people are quick to recognize their own inadequacy. “Who is adequate for these things?” the apostle Paul asked rhetorically (2 Cor. 2:16; cf. 3:5). His adequacy came from a humble dependence on God’s all-sufficient grace (2 Cor. 12:9; cf. 4:7–12), which empowered him to “labor, striving according to His power, which mightily work[ed] within [him]” (Col. 1:29; cf. 1 Cor. 2:1–5; 15:10).

Jesus affirmed the validity of their question and replied by way of an analogy that indeed they did need a growing faith: “If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you.” As noted in the discussion of Luke 13:19 in chapter 17 of this volume, the mustard seed was the smallest seed with which the people of Israel would have been familiar. Jesus’ analogy calls for a faith that grows like a tiny mustard seed does into to a large shrub (mustard plants can reach fifteen feet in height).

Those who possess such a faith can do amazing things, which the Lord pictured using another analogy. If the apostles had this type of faith, He told them, they would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey [them].” Mulberry trees have an extensive root system, so uprooting one would be a significant thing to do. But Jesus was not speaking of literally moving a tree; He was speaking metaphorically. The point is that those who trust Him will receive supernatural power to do what they could not do in their own human strength (cf. Matt. 17:20; Mark 11:23; John 14:12–14; 2 Cor. 12:10; Eph. 6:10).

Humble people are powerful people because they understand their weakness and depend completely on “Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us” (Eph. 3:20).

HUMBLE PEOPLE ARE CHARACTERIZED BY REJECTION OF HONOR

Which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down to eat’? But will he not say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink’? He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’” (17:7–10)

Although some fail to see the connection, this concluding parable fits in with the overall theme of this section. The scribes and Pharisees were obsessed with being honored. In Matthew 23:5–7 Jesus said of them, “They do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men” (cf. Luke 20:46–47).

That attitude is not to characterize the true followers of Jesus Christ. There is a danger that as they recognize their weakness, trust in God’s power, and are used by Him that they become arrogant and prideful. Lest they forget that everything they have and do is solely by God’s grace, Jesus told this parable as a warning against spiritual pride.

Doulos (slave) refers to a person bound to an owner. That was a common way in which employment was handled, and could be very beneficial when the master treated his slave fairly and humanely. The New Testament frequently describes Christians as slaves of God and the Lord Christ (e.g., Acts 4:29; Rom. 1:1; Gal. 1:10; Col. 1:7; 4:12; 2 Tim. 2:24; 1 Peter 2:16; Rev. 1:1). Slaves were generally better off than freemen, who tended to be day laborers living from hand to mouth. Slaves had security, since they lived in the master’s home and he met their needs.

This parable takes place in a rural, agricultural setting, probably depicting a small farm where the slave worked plowing or tending sheep. His master would not say to him when he came in from the field, “Come immediately and sit down to eat,” any more than an employer today would, under normal circumstances, not require an employee to put in a full day’s work. Instead his master would say to him, “Prepare something for me to eat, and properly clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and afterward you may eat and drink.” He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? The slave would have understood his master’s request as a normal part of his responsibility and would not have expected any special honor merely for fulfilling his full daily duty.

Jesus concluded the story by applying it to His disciples: So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, “We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.” Humble people reject honor. They understand that nothing they do for God makes Him indebted to them. Their service to Him is their duty, and less than He deserves, and no matter what they do they are unworthy of the unmerited eternal blessings He graciously grants them.

But in the future, believers will be honored and rewarded when Jesus Himself serves them at the great heavenly banquet (Luke 12:37). Even that, however, will be the result of His grace. Never, either in this world or in heaven, will believers merit anything God lavishly gives them.

The message of our Lord’s teaching in this section may be summed up in His statement, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (14:11; cf. 1:52; 18:14; James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6).