Faith and Duty

The(A) apostles(B) said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”(C)

“If you have faith the size of[a] a mustard seed,”(D) the Lord said, “you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

“Which one of you having a servant tending sheep or plowing will say to him when he comes in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? Instead, will he not tell him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, get ready, and serve me while I eat and drink; later you can eat and drink’?(E) Does he thank that servant because he did what was commanded?[b] 10 In the same way, when you have done all that you were commanded, you should say, ‘We are unworthy (F) servants; we’ve only done our duty.’”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 17:6 Lit faith like
  2. 17:9 Other mss add I don’t think so

(A)The apostles said to (B)the Lord, “Increase our faith!” But (C)the Lord said, “If you [a]had faith [b]the size of (D)a mustard seed, you could say to this (E)mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would [c]obey you.

“Now which of you, having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him after he comes in from the field, ‘Come immediately and recline at the table to eat’? On the contrary, will he not say to him, ‘(F)Prepare something for me to eat, and properly [d]clothe yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; and [e]afterward you [f]may eat and drink’? He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? 10 So you too, when you do all the things which were commanded you, say, ‘We are [g]unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Luke 17:6 Lit have
  2. Luke 17:6 Lit like
  3. Luke 17:6 Lit have obeyed
  4. Luke 17:8 Lit belt up
  5. Luke 17:8 Lit after these things
  6. Luke 17:8 Lit will
  7. Luke 17:10 I.e., possibly unworthy of praise