Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:1-10
If we could playback the soundtrack of our lives we’d all have segments in which we were told something that we didn’t want to hear. The phrases stick with us and even now cause our hearts to sink. “I’m afraid that the test results show cancer ...” “This just isn’t working out …” “I’m sorry for your loss ...” “Based on your credit score we can’t approve your mortgage application …” “Do you know why I stopped you …” As bad as these are, they can’t compare to the things that Jesus says to us that are not what we want to hear.
In today’s Gospel lesson Jesus says things that contradict the values of our culture and challenge the way that we’ve learned to live in this world. In contrast to our view that it isn’t our problem when a person takes offense at what we say or do, Jesus says that it’s better to be drown in the depths of the sea than to cause offense to those who are weak in faith. He then calls us to reject the “live and let live” attitude of our culture and actively intercede when a fellow believer sins — even when we think that the sin has nothing to do with us. Then He makes it personal by telling us that we must repeatedly forgive a brother or sister in Christ who sins against us and then repents. So much for the “hurt me once, shame on you; hurt me twice, shame on me” mentality of our culture. Finally, Jesus uses a story to convey what our attitude should be about shunning the world’s ways and doing what He is teaching us to do. He calls these extreme actions our duty and then says that after we’ve done what we’re told to do we should see ourselves as “unworthy servants” who “have only done what was our duty.” No praise, no thanks, no reward. Definitely not what we want to hear.
What we want to hear from Jesus is that we’re doing well and we’re fine just the way that we are. We want to hear promises of ease and prosperity, not a call to sacrifice and hardship. In other words, we want glory not the cross. But the cross is what we hear when we listen to Jesus. Certain temptation, confronting people in their sins, forgiving others without conditions, sacrifice as duty, and a call to “share in suffering for the Gospel” aren’t what we want to hear, but more than call us into these things Jesus joins us in them. He faced certain temptation, confronted sin, forgave freely, and sacrificed Himself on the Cross. Through His blood we are declared “the righteous who live by faith.” A proclamation that far exceeds everything that we once wanted to hear.
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