Luke 17:5-10
Chapter 17
5
The apostles said to the Lord:
“Increase our faith.”
And the Lord said:
6
“If you have faith, even the size of a mustard seed, you may say to this tree, ‘Be uprooted, and plant yourself in the sea!’ and it will obey you.”
7
Who among you would tell your servant, coming in from the fields after plowing or tending sheep, ‘Go ahead and have your dinner’?
8
No, you tell him, ‘Prepare my dinner. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You can eat and drink afterward.’
9
Do you thank this servant for doing what you told him to do?
10
I don’t think so. Therefore, when you have done all that you have been told to do, you should say, ‘We are no more than servants; we have only done our duty.’”
Commentaries
Instructions to the Disciples – The Duty of the Disciple.
These three instructions share a common foundation: service to the kingdom, which is only achievable through faith. In serving the kingdom—defined as the pursuit and establishment of a just, supportive, fraternal, and egalitarian society—no one is immune to straying from the path or adopting attitudes contrary to the kingdom’s values. This can cause scandal and discouragement in some, while leading to skepticism and rejection of this new reality in others. In any case, fraternal correction, repentance, and forgiveness must always be practiced.