A Mission Of Mercy Into Judea

SOME weeks earlier, during the Festival of Dedication in Jerusalem, the Jews tried to kill Jesus. So he traveled north, evidently to an area that was not far from the Sea of Galilee. Recently, he has been heading south again toward Jerusalem, preaching along the way in the villages of Perea, a district east of the Jordan River. After telling the illustration about the rich man and Lazarus, he continues teaching his disciples things that he had taught earlier while in Galilee.

He says, for example, that it would be more advantageous for a person "if a millstone were suspended from his neck and he were thrown into the sea" than for him to cause one of God's "little ones" to stumble. He also emphasizes the need of forgiveness, explaining: "Even if [a brother] sins seven times against you and he comes back to you seven times saying, 'I repent,' you must forgive him."

When the disciples request, "Give us more faith," Jesus answers: "IF you had faith the size of a mustard grain, you would say to this black mulberry tree. 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea!' And it would obey you." so even a little faith can accomplish great things.

Next Jesus relates a true-to-life situation that illustrates the proper attitude of a servant of the almighty God. "Who of you is there that has a slave plowing or minding the flock," Jesus observes, "who will say to him when he gets in from the field, 'Come here at once and recline at the table?' Rather, will he not say to him, 'Get something ready for me to have my evening meal, and put on an apron and minister to me until I am through eating and drinking, and afterward you can eat and drink?' He will not feel gratitude to the slave because he did the things assigned, will he? So you , also, when you have done all things assigned to you, say, 'We are good-for-nothing slaves. What we have done is what we ought to have done.'" Thus, God's servants should never feel that they are doing God a favor by serving him. Rather, they should always remember the privilege that they have of worshiping him as trusted members of his household.

Next time: A Mission Of Mercy Into Judea

The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived, 1991